Communication

Fundamentals Of Communication And Lifeskills
978-93-88438-58-2
Fundamentals of Communication and Life Skills 1
1.1 Effective Communication Skills

1.2 Professional Communication Strategies
1.2.1 Introduction
1.2.2 Types of communication
1.2.3 Achieving effective communication
1.2.4 Three stages of communication
1.2.5 Listening skills
1.2.6 How to deliver compelling message
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 To Learn about the effective communication skills.
 To explain professional communication strategies.
 To discuss stages of communication.
 To discuss about listening skills and how to deliver
strong messages.
2 Fundamentals of Communication and Life Skills
1.1 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Introduction
Communication is the only interaction that we make
when we involve with another party. Regardless of whether
it is personal relationship or a professional one,
communication keeps us connected to one another in the
community.
Therefore, communication is the main mechanism
where the conflicts are arisen as well as they are solved.
Therefore, effective communication can make sure that
you communicate appropriately and correctly in order to
minimize such confrontations.
In case, there are disagreements or conflicts, effective
communication can be again used for solving such issues.
The main skills for effective communication

Following are the main skills one should have to
master to become an effective communicator.
Although acquiring all these skills and mastering them
to the same level seems to be challenging, knowing all these
skills and slowly working on them will take you to the level
you want to be in communication.
Staying focused
When you deal with a current crisis or an argument,
relating something from the past is quite natural.
When this happens, most of the times, the discussion
goes out of topic and the situation can become quite
complicated.
Staying focused is one of the best skills not only for
communicating under pressure, but for all types of
communications ranging from lunch chitchats to board
discussions.
If you go out of focus, there is a high chance that the
end result of the communication may not be effective.
Listening Carefully
Although people think that they are listing when
another person talks, actually they are spending time
planning what to say next.
This is what we actually do! Therefore, you need to
make an extra effort in order to listen to what the other
person says and then come up with what you want to say.
If you are not sure what you've heard, repeat it and ask
for their confirmation.
Understanding Others' Point of Views

In most of the communications, we want ourselves
heard and understood. We talk a lot on our point of view
and try to get the buying of who are listening.
Remember, others also do the same! If you want them
to hear you, you need to hear them and understand their
point of view too.
If you can really see through their point of view, you
can actually explain yours in a clear and applicable way.
Empathy when criticizing

Sometimes, we become really defensive when someone
criticizes us. Since criticism has close ties with emotions,
we can be easily erupted.
But, in communication, it is really important to listen
to the other person's pain and difficulties and respond with
empathy.
At the same time, try to extract the facts and the truth
in what they say, it can be useful for you.
Taking ownership
Taking personal responsibility is strength. When it
comes to effective communication, admitting what you did
wrong is respected and required.
Most of the times, there are many people, who share
responsibility in a conflict. In such cases, admit what is
yours. This behavior shows maturity and sets an example.
Your behavior most probably will inspire others to take

responsibility for their share.
Compromise if necessary
We love to win arguments all the time, but how often
have you felt empty inside after winning an argument?
Sometimes, winning an argument does not make sense.
You may win the argument but might lose the
corporation of other people. Communication is not about
winning, it's about getting things done.
For the objective of getting things done, you may have
to compromise in the process. If it is necessary, please do!
Take a time-out if necessary

Sometimes, you need to take a break in the middle of
the discussion. If the communication is intensive, there can
be ineffective communication pattern surfaced.
Once you notice such patterns, you need to take a
break and then continue. When you continue after the
break, all the parties involved in the discussion will be able
to constructively contribute for the discussion.
Compete for your objective

Although there can be a lot of obstacles on your way, do
not give up what you are fighting for.
Surely you may have to compromise, but clearly stand
for what you believe in. When it comes to communication,
all the parties involved should satisfy with the outcome of
it.
Ask for help

Sometimes, you might have difficulties to communicate
certain things to certain parties. This could be due to an
issue related to respect or something else.
In such cases, seek help from others. Your manager
will be one of the best persons to help you with.
Conclusion
In a corporate environment, effective communication is
the key to win your way to success.
Regardless of whether you are targeting your career
growth or winning the next big project, effective
communication can make your way to the objective.
In addition, effective communication can get you a lot
of support from your subordinates as well.
1.2 PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
1.2.1 Introduction
Communication in the business world is not confined to
the interactions between professionals or their official
communication with clients and customers. Its scope can be
quite vast encompassing communications of all forms that
takes place in any office environment.
Significance of communication strategies

Cultivating good communication skills ensures that
people pay close attention when you speak. It makes people
comfortable with the fact that someone is listening to them
when they are speaking. A meaningful conversation can
help you influence others with your ideas and can help you
prevent any unnecessary confusion when you communicate.
Good communication skills help you speak assertively
on your goals and achievements. Without a clear
communication strategy, people will stop listening to your
needs and requirements.
A good speaker will always provide the listener with
practical examples and case studies. He goes as far as
possible to cover all the fields on effective communication as
is needed for the reader, without having to opt for
professional services.
Before going through with this tutorial, the reader
should identify the specific areas on which he should focus
on in his communication. He should also be interested in
developing a detailed understanding of the working

mechanisms behind the skills of communicating with
others.
Outcome of communication strategies

Taking control of the communication channel helps in
preventing any wrong signals that can be sent through a
wrong choice of words, which might create a
misunderstanding. To make clear communication, you need
to always modify your speech as per the nature of the
conversation and the purpose of the meeting.
Good communication to the staff members ensures that
all instructions are clearly communicated and all staff
members are operating on the same plane. In the services
sector, this forms a crucial cause.
Effective communication results in the following −
 Helps people develop mutually beneficial solutions
for long-term partnerships.
 Builds healthy relationships with people based on
transparency and trust.
 Providing efficient solutions through accurate,
valuable and relevant information.
 Delivering a positive message and understanding of
facts which boosts mutual respect and trust.
Good communication is not a very difficult thing to
achieve. It is having a clear vision and line of thought,
along with the right attitude and the sense of timing.

Unlike public perception, a good conversationalist doesn‟t
need to be very strong in vocabulary.
In fact, the best communicators often are people with
limited vocabulary; however they have managed to convert
that into their own personal strength as they can now focus
on the exact words they need to speak out, instead of
sending vague messages through their speech.
1.2.2 Types of communication

There are many ways of communication, however they
can be broadly classified under three types −
 Oral Communication
 Written Communication
 Implied Messages
These can be further divided into planned, official or
unplanned, unofficial conversation.
Oral communication
In oral communication, it is important to make sure
that the listeners understand what the speaker is saying.
So, the speaker needs to have effective speaking and
listening skills of the communicator. Oral communication is
the most effective two-way communication and dialogue
method. It helps send the message completely and is best
suited to handle complex discussions and provides ample
scope for clarifying your issues.
A few examples of oral communication are −
 Meetings
 Workshops
 Telephone calls
 Presentations
 Tele/video conferences
 Podcast/webcast, etc.
Written communication
Writing is more suited to detailed communication,
where facts, figures, diagrams and statistics should be
shared. It is also beneficial as reference materials for later
usage. Written communication is often mentioned as official
communication because people always want important
conversations to be placed on record.
Some examples of written communication are −
 Letters
 Reports
 Minutes
 Emails
 Newsletters
 Surveys
 Twitter
 Blogs, etc.
Implied messages
In implied messages, we send out messages that are
neither oral nor written, but are expressed through subtle
usage of body language basics. These messages are the
most powerful in your branding, presentation and image.
For any good communication, extensive preparation is
the key. The scale of preparation depends on the enormity
of the situation. However, some key points need to be
considered in any communication based occasion.
 Decide how your audience can help you.
 Develop a strong communication plan.
 Have an updated contact list and distribution list.
 Create templates for special occasions to minimize
time taken to communicate.
 Have a clear project plan and a collection of fields to
communicate on.
 Schedule resources that you will need for the
meetings, such as – pens, projectors, etc.
 Plan how the communication channel will be

handled and the flow will be organized.
 Establish clear and transparent reporting and
interaction methods.
 Establish communication standards through emails,
snail mails, etc.
 Emergency contact channels must be established.
1.2.3 Achieving effective communication

The communication between the higher management
and managers should always be transparent and effective.
This is for maintaining a clear line of authority and
decision making and for the sake of smooth functioning of
the organization. Many processes where people need to get
instructions on a pro-rata basis depend intensively on their
communication channels to provide competent service and
professional performance.
Significance of content and timing

To have effective communication, there are several
important factors that need to be kept in mind. The most
important aspect is timing. If it is a crucial message and
the time window is small, the message must be
encapsulated in a short form in such a manner that all the
necessary points are expressed with minimum time taken.
Similarly, there are many other areas that need to keep in
consideration while striking a conversation. Some of these
are given below −
 The message must be short and simple so that the
audience understands the full message without any
confusion.
 The message must be complete and unambiguous;
sometimes you often get only one chance.
 The message should steer clear of any technical
jargon and carry a concise information nugget.
 The message must add different viewpoints so that
the facts present a clear narrative.
 The mode of communication should be participatory,

rather than of delivering knowledge.
 The message should not state only the problem, but
also suggest a few possible solutions, if any.
 The message should be relevant and familiar to the
audience, or else there will be no connection.
 The content must be factually correct and proof-read
to avoid any unnecessary complications later.
 The message must be sent at the right time, giving
sufficient time for the audience to grasp and react.
How to achieve effective communication?

Effective communication is the task of sending and
accepting a complete message between one speaker and his
audience. Effective communication is all about the timely
delivery of message to the appropriate person using the
right channel.
Depending on the nature of the message and audience,
the audience can fulfill the role of communicator and
engage in a dialogue with the speaker. These types of
audiences often are encouraged to participate in a Q&A
session after presentation.
1.2.4 Three stages of communication

The most important step to communicate is to prepare
in advance and understand what you want to convey. The
next step is, when you are speaking, the message you send
should be in a confident manner, identifying important
points and focused on solutions.
Finally, the entire communication should provide space
for interaction and debate. This should be done as others
can have the opportunity to respond and clarify what you
are telling them. This is very important as people will have
many questions to ask and get clarified on various issues
and topics of the discussion.
Before communicating
 Prepare the final message and arguments in a
proper manner.
 Get complete knowledge of the message to be
delivered.
 Understand all implications of the message.
Delivering the message

 Apply positive body language with energy to deliver
content.
 Use facts and well-rounded arguments, not opinions.
 Keep the content concise and specific.
 The talk should be resolution oriented.
 Use persuasive arguments.
Responding to the recipient

 Be open to the recipients‟ point of view.
 Listen to the response with enthusiasm.
 Be prepared to clarify and be clarified.
 Defend your message assertively.
 Be collaborative in approach.
1.2.5 Listening skills

Listening skills are at par with communication skills
when it comes to their contribution in delivering a message.
Listening allows the complete understanding of what
others say and what your response should be to their point
of view. Good listening is crucial to build long-lasting
relationships.
To be a good listener, you should be able to understand
and actively respond to what others are saying.
 It is important to note that at times, people give an
answer out of fear or pressure, which is not the
answer they would want to give.
 At other times, people don‟t respond to issues that

they should, either due to hesitation or their
callousness.
This is a common occurrence in many communication
scenarios, whether they are face-to-face or remote, or
whether they are instant or for a longer period in a one-on-
one or one-to-many.
So, the mantra is to be as focused as possible while
listening to people talking to you. This will help in gaining
maximum knowledge about what they are talking and how
you can respond when they ask you any questions on their
situation.
Core listening techniques

Listening skills teaches people to give others your
undivided and complete attention. If they are near you, you
need to look at them directly and not engage in other
distracting activities like checking the phone. A few more
important steps that you can do to ensure that people
respect you for your listening skills are −
 Try to understand the body language and facial
expressions of the people who are speaking to you.
 Always encourage them to speak more by asking
them open-ended questions and inquiring.
 Use non-verbal nods like nodding or using facial
expressions to show you are genuinely listening.
 Acknowledging their sentiments and echoing their
feelings when they are sensitive to a discussion.
 Don‟t cloud their speech with judgments; listen to
their complete speech before offering any suggestion.
 Don‟t interrupt while they are speaking; they might
lose the flow and give incomplete information.
 Express opinion if it is not disruptive to a person‟s
belief system, unless the situation demands it.
In addition to these steps, it is also important to keep
your reactions muted and subtle. The person has come to
you for help as he trusts you and wants to disclose certain
facts of his business to you. Needless to say, it is a difficult

time for him. The last thing you would want to do is to start
being judgmental, aggressive, confrontational or bossy.
1.2.6 How to deliver compelling message

You need to send out clear messages to communicate
effectively, because without clear messages, your audience
will get muddled signals. It has happened in numerous
corporate stakeholder meetings where different parties end
up with different take-always from a meeting.
To deliver a compelling message, a speaker can use any
of these following four techniques
 The Burning Platform
 The benefits for you are…
 This aligns with corporate goals because…
 This is what success looks like
Let us now discuss the above given techniques in
detail.
The burning platform

This approach provides a hypothetical scenario of what
happens if changes are not made and the goals are not
achieved. This technique is also known as the technique of
introducing the opportunity cost or failed opportunity price.
It proves extremely effective especially in the face of some
crisis.
People in such cases are already aware of the issues
and will be listening to the consequences of any further
inaction with a lot of attention.
The benefits for you are…

This approach provides the audience a more personal
point of view. The audience members will understand that
they stand to win something for their own and family, if the
goals are to be achieved.
If there are no benefits to the people individually, there
will be no motive or drive behind their participation or
actions. It then becomes very difficult to motivate people as

they don‟t see any personal benefit in the goals being
realized.
This aligns with corporate goals because…

This type of speech helps address the issues that critics
raise on the new changes and whether they are going to be
in accordance to corporate compliance. Some changes,
especially the ones that step into unchartered territory, are
met with some opposition and cynicism.
However, in such cases, the onus is on the speaker to
clarify how the goals are in line with the vision and mission
of the organization. The speaker can also pull out previous
company decisions in similar scenarios from their archives,
and quote any precedent to such changes, if any.
This is what success looks like

This is the opposite of the burning platform technique,
but is equally effective and when used with the former
technique, it is an unmatchable combination. Using this
technique, the speaker can first set the agenda and then
deliver the resolution.
Here, instead of talking on – „how the not meeting of
goals can prove disastrous‟, the person speaks on „what
goals can do for the company‟. This helps in providing a
vision of how the success will look like to the people in their
professional and personal lives.


2.1 Introduction
2.2 Verbal Communication
2.3 Active Listening
2.4 Art of Asking
2.5 Body Language
2.6 Small Talks & its Benefits
2.7 Proceeding with a Conversation
2.8 Tips While Talking
2.9 Using Names in Conversation
2.10 Making up for Forgetting Names
2.11 Influencing People's Thought
2.12 The "You Win, I Win" Technique
2.13 Emotion Handling
2.14 Putting Your Opinion Forward
2.15 Making an Impact
2.16 Getting Results the Right Way
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
 To state the concepts of Interpersonal skills and
what they include.
 To discuss the ways to acquire interpersonal skills
 To discuss the art of making an effective powerful
conversation and how to keep going when you forget
names.
 To discuss the importance of body language in a
conversation.
 To discuss the ways to influence people with
conversation.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
In this chapter we will learn what Interpersonal Skills
are, what they include, and how to acquire them. Let's
begin with what Interpersonal Skills really mean.
Have you met that dynamic, charismatic person who is
the life of the party, who walks into a room and
immediately changes the dynamics of any conversation,
someone who people talk about for hours even after he
leaves the place?
If you have, then you might have wondered at large as
to what makes him so adorable to so many different people
at the same time. In short, you would be interested in
tracking down his "X-factor", which makes that person
adorable.
The secret is behind understanding the difference
between hearings and listening, using verbal skills to
communicate effectively, sending subtle non-verbal signals
to move a conversation along to higher levels of
conversation. Remember the saying that successful people
always remember names, know how to make a powerful
introduction, and manage situations.
2.2 VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Interpersonal Skills, for all the mystery and high-talk
surrounding them, could be something as simple as
handling a conversation. It is all about learning the art of
giving in rather than giving up. It also could understand
how to use facts and emotions to get people on your side.
To communicate effectively, the first thing we need is
not only a good collection of words, but also a
good selection of words. Indeed, knowing how to speak is
fine, but what to speak is the backbone of any conversation.
The Collection-Selection Model of speech adds value and
pleasure to any conversation you have. For example, take a
look at the usage of the word astounding in the following
sentences −
 Incorrect − this soup tastes astounding.
Correct − what you have achieved is

an astounding feat.
Proper usage of words and the right manner of
communication will create ways of sharing opinions and
expressing ideas in a positive manner. The objective of
Interpersonal Skills is to have a pleasant, informative, and
valuable conversation that leaves a lasting positive
impression of you in others' minds.
Business experts use well-honed communication skills
to prepare their pitch for a deal, handle objections, and
settle negotiations. A major part of successful bargaining
depends on the rapport you manage to build with a
prospect.
2.3 ACTIVE LISTENING

Communication is a two-way process where active
listening plays as major a role as speaking fluently.
Speaking fluently without listening will make any
conversation a very short-lived one.
Hearing is simply picking up sound waves in our
surrounding and realizing that there has been a source of
sound, whether you have seen it or not. Listening, on the
other hand, is not only picking up sound waves but also
understanding the meaning of the words spoken, analyze
them, interpret them, and act accordingly.
In short, hearing involves only the brain, but listening
involves the mind too. Active listening helps in getting a
deeper understanding of what the person is saying, which
in return, will help you arrive at the most appropriate
conclusion.
In addition to that, it also helps you to communicate
more successfully and build a receptive, cooperative image
in the mind of the speaker. The person will perceive you as
a caring, attentive, and engaged listener with minute
attention to details. Insurance Advisors and Investment
Bankers all over the world have mastered this art as they
understand that their customers are talking about the
future of their earnings, which is a sensitive topic to most of

them.
2.4 ART OF ASKING

Many people shy away from putting their queries
forward. They think that asking questions would create an
impression about them being rude, intrusive, or pesky.
Although there are certain situations where it is best to
refrain from putting your queries forward, asking questions
is not some scornful activity in itself.
On the contrary, you could say that we human beings
can attribute whatever we have learnt and our entire
development curve to our propensity of asking questions.
The trick is in seeking purposeful answers that the person
can connect with and identify the thought behind the
question.
Questions can be broadly classified under two
categories −
 Open-ended questions − these questions are also
known as the "Wh-questions" as they are usually
preceded by "who, when, where, what, how, and
why". While answering these questions, people tend
to focus more on giving descriptive
answers. Example − “Why did you think this was
the best decision of your life?"
 Close-ended questions − these questions can be
easily answered in a few words, even with a simple
'yes' or 'no'. They are asked to get a quick response
from the listener about facts and figures. The
listener tends to put more stress on his memory as
compared to processing thoughts while answering
these questions. Example − “Are you a resident
citizen of this country?”
2.5 BODY LANGUAGE

Jarod Kintz had once written that "I am bilingual. I
speak English and Body." This statement stresses how
important body language is to the image we project of
ourselves, and the image we perceive of people around us.

Body language helps us generate and transmit messages to
observers through our posture, gestures, and body
movements.
Inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal
communication often confuses people, as they tend to put
more emphasis on body language as compared to speech. If
a person smiles while saying he is sad, his words will lose
their value and the observer will take that statement as a
lie.
The most important factors that sum up Body
Language are −
 Eye Contact − Steady eye contact (not continuous
as in staring) indicates a sense of confidence and a
willingness to connect with the discussion, as
opposed to shying eyes and drooping eyes that give
an impression of either under-preparedness, low
confidence, or disinterest.
 Facial Expression − A person can very easily give
away his thoughts if one were to study his face.
People who are genuinely happy tend to arch their
eyebrows, as compared to those who smile only out
of courtesy. These small hints can give many details
and unspoken messages about people.
 Posture − It is recommended that you always
maintain a proper, straight, and crisp posture while
standing or while sitting down. Slouchy posture is
often associated with arrogance, sloth, and
unproductively. On the other hand, a person sitting
straight in his chair will exude confidence and
inspire respect.
 Specific Gestures − Nodding is universally
accepted as a signal for 'Yes', and five extended
fingers denote the number 'five'. These are certain
specific movements that you need to be careful of
while speaking, so that there is no discrepancy in
gesture and speech.
 Physical Proximity − The way we shake hands

and pat on the shoulders of other people give us
either a friendly or amiable image. Standing too
close or too far from a speaker could give a sense of
intrusion or arrogance.
2.6 SMALL TALKS & ITS BENEFITS

Small Talk is the friendly, amiable conversation people
have with one another on general topics such as weather or
traffic that may open doorways to knowing each other
better. Communication experts consider small talk as an
art, and they believe a pleasant small talk can lead to many
frank, detailed discussions on business too.
Although, it is easier said than done, walking up to a
stranger and initiating a conversation may not be one of the
easiest things for a lot of people, especially young sales-
people and business development managers. Many think
opening up a conversation as an arduous task and admit
having no "small talk" skills at all.
Let's see how small talk leads two people to share
details about each other −
 Initiation − At this stage, the people in the
conversation normally talk on general topics such as
the weather, traffic, time of the day, busy schedule,
etc. This gives an idea as to whether the other
person is in a conversational mood or is avoiding
conversation.
 Knowing each other − This is where people
introduce themselves to the other person and offer
details about their name, work, and the reason they
were at that particular place, for example − "I am
Vineet. I am a trainer and I was on my way to
delivering an online training session."
 Opinion Sharing − Here the discussion moves
towards slightly more "weighty" topics like politics,
corporate way of life, philosophy, where the opinions
of each other are listened to and valued.
 Expressing Thoughts − Once all the above stages

have been cleared, you reach the final stage where
both the persons can feel sufficiently comfortable in
each other's company to be able to disclose intimate
details about each other.
2.7 PROCEEDING WITH A CONVERSATION

To improve your interpersonal skills, the most
important step is to address the issues that prevent you
from initiating a conversation with someone. It could be
shyness, discomfort around authority figures, or lack of
content. Knowing the reasons behind your hesitation could
help you understand your areas of concern.
To be able to start a conversation and hold it pleasantly
over a length of time, you need to be really interested and
involved in the conversation. That will only be possible if
you have a genuine love for meeting and knowing new
people.
Having a collection of conversation starters will help if
you have a few witty lines and introductory lines ready that
will help you in all occasions. Simple gestures like smiling
and then waiting for a return smile before introducing
yourself, commenting on something in the vicinity,
commenting on a shared interest are just some of the
starters that can get the other person in a conversational
mood.
The secret behind making a small talk is to relax. The
more relaxed you are while talking, the more natural you
will sound, and the more interested the other person will be
in listening to what you are saying.
2.8 TIPS WHILE TALKING

While talking to someone, remember that people like to
talk to people who can receive and share information
simultaneously. If you dominate the conversation without
giving any stress to what the other person is saying, that
will end the talk very quickly. On the other hand, if you
only listen and don't provide any intelligent or reasonable
contribution to the discussion, people will think of you as

someone not worth their time talking to.
While having a conversation, make sure that you
completely understand what the other person is saying
before making any remark on it. Misunderstanding or even
partial understanding of somebody's statement could cause
a serious social error. It is always advisable to use
repetition in conversation, both to clarify your statements
and also to understand what the other person meant by his
words.
Examples − "Let me make myself clear here, so that
everybody has understood exactly what I meant to say.", "If
I understood you correctly...”
It is also important to keep summarizing the content as
the conversation becomes more detail-oriented. There are
times when a lot of facts are introduced which need to be
kept in mind to understand the context of the discussion.
Whenever you feel that the details are getting slightly
difficult to understand, it is best to paraphrase and try to
summarize the entire content so that any discrepancy can
be addressed.
2.9 USING NAMES IN CONVERSATION

How do you feel when you are walking through a
crowded street that is dense with strangers walking up and
down the road, and amidst all that, you hear someone
calling out your name? I guess you would drop whatever it
is that you were doing − be it walking, crossing the road, or
talking over the phone − to look at the direction your name
was called from.
We all have experienced similar situations and the
reason is − a human being‟s name is the shortest and
quickest way to building an emotional attachment with
him. Our names carry a powerful, emotional attachment
with them. It is observed that people immediately start
paying you more attention and giving you more chances of
interaction if you mention their names correctly, especially
when meeting them for a long time.
Start the introduction by mentioning your first name

and your last name. That will also give a cue to the
listener(s) to state their names. Once they do that, repeat
their names by acknowledging their presence by saying −
"It's a pleasure meeting you, Francis." It will create an
immediate friendly atmosphere and lend an air of
familiarity to the discussion.
2.10 MAKING UP FOR FORGETTING NAMES

We all have gone through times when somebody greets
us and we have no idea as to what his name might be. It
might be unnerving, especially so when he is referring to
you constantly using your name. But the worst situation is
when he gives you some business opportunity and asks you
to mail your response to him! What do you do then?
Remember that using a name can add many
advantages to your interpersonal skills which can be as
easily subtracted on forgetting it too. Many people forget
names thinking they might not be that important. Others
have a genuine issue with their memory. But the trick is to
never let the person know that you are still searching for
his name in your mind.
2.11 INFLUENCING PEOPLE‟S THOUGHT

I am sure many of us have wished, on seeing a
hypnotist perform his art on a hapless member of the
audience, if only this power would have been with you.
Well, you got the next best thing! It is called Influencing
People.
While we can safely agree that we don't have the power
to control anyone telepathically, influencing people can give
a powerful insight into the way they think and function,
which helps you in approaching them in an agreeable way.
This includes trying to understand their business and
personal environment, knowing their business needs,
personal feelings, and ethics.
Active Listening and sharp observation are the two
very important skills needed to know what can convince
other people. We all send subconscious messages when we

interact and reading between the lines may give us the hint
that we were looking for so far.
Empathizing, also known as "putting yourself in
someone's shoes to see where the stone pinches", is a very
effective way of understanding the other side of the story
that the person wants to share with you. Understanding
and addressing his needs will make him think highly of you
as someone who cares.
2.12 THE “YOU WIN, I WIN” TECHNIQUE

While handling a negotiation, the most important thing
to remember is that you are talking to a person who
believes he has an equal right to opinion and an equal right
to present his points. While you might be thoroughly
prepared and be backed with facts, there will often be
situations where the other person will choose to disagree
with what you are saying for numerous reasons.
Some of them could be his own long-held beliefs,
unwillingness to change or adapt, or simply the fact that he
feels threatened in the presence of someone who is
intellectually superior and refuses this fact to dominate his
thought.
We can never know what factors influence a person
toward denying certain things that are clearly right or
accepting certain things that don't make any sense, but
fighting with them and always trying to be right is a very
poor approach towards knowing. Instead of trying to sound
and appear right at all times by trying to rain facts and
figures, it is a great idea to ask him to present his points
and contribute to the discussion so that he feels that he is
also bringing equal weight to the table.
There are times when we just have to concede a point
or two, just so that the conversation, and subsequently the
deal, does not fall through. It is no way being implied that
you have to compromise on important points, but the very
nature of a negotiation is to see that both sides win. When
situations like these come, it is better to give in to a few

changes, as compared to giving up on the deal altogether.
2.13 EMOTION HANDLING

If you observe closely, you will realize that companies
that produce beauty products like skin-enhancing creams,
body lotions, and anti-ageing products get soaring
responses from their target audience primarily due to the
kind of advertising they do. The advertisements don't
promote the product at all!
They promote the results, the moral boost, the social
acceptance, and the general improvement in standards of
life that you get on using the product. The emotional
quotient involved in them is very high. That results in a
viewer getting immediately attached to the product.
It is found that the emotions run on a fixed path − first
the advertisements start with negative emotions that talk
about the current situation and stigma that the viewer
might be facing, then they introduce the benefits of the
product, and then they talk about the positive emotions
that you are going to get by using the product.
Addressing the initial insecurity, then assuring with a
solution, and concluding with a feel-good high is the secret
behind the successful conveying of the message.
How about we adapt the same method while conversing
with people too?
The next time you have a conversation with someone,
listen to what makes him worried, and then add
observations that corroborate with what he says so that he
is convinced that you are familiar with his concerns, and
then offer a solution that will result in a much better
outcome.
It is very important during this stage to show that this
is an issue that affects you personally as well. If the
listener does not feel that you are equally connected to his
cause the way he is, you will start losing value and your
words will start sounding hollow immediately.
Hence, you have to make sure that he understands

your involvement too. The best way to do this will be
through your body language. Your vibrant and energetic
voice, your confident eye-contact, and your assured talking
will do wonders to the reliability factor that the listener is
trying to build with you.
2.14 PUTTING YOUR OPINION FORWARD

In a meeting or a social gathering, people will expect
you to contribute to the discussion. In situations like these,
it is very important to realize that even if your opinions
might be honest and true, they could hurt the sentiments of
a lot of people who might not be agreeing to these opinions
of yours. Even if what you mentioned was correct, some
might feel offended by your direct statements.
In these cases, it is always advisable to use a
diplomatic tone. There is nothing wrong for two completely
different persons to disagree on a point. But the objective
should always be to put your contradicting thoughts in such
a way that the listeners judge the sentence, and not you.
This art is called agreeably disagreeing or constructive
disagreeing.
In a constructive disagreement, which is bound to
happen when a meeting of talented and dynamic people is
held, the idea is to make sure that personal egos and
prejudices don't overwhelm the discussion.
The focus of every agreement or disagreement should
be to bring improvement and greater success, and on
finding a solution and not settling personal scores or
gaining one-upmanship. Mutual respect should be there for
all participating members, even if their views could be
clashing with yours.
2.15 MAKING AN IMPACT

It is an oft-repeated phrase that creating a Powerful
First Impression sets the tone for a pleasant and
constructive conversation. The first impression a person
draws of you is a gut instinct, and cues from body language
are generally registered more strongly than mere verbal

means of communication.
A few things that one should always keep in mind
while meeting someone for the first time is to dress suitably
as per the occasion and groom properly. Always try to have
a positive mindset and the aim should be to be a problem-
solver and not a problem-digger. Try to give options to a
situation that you have been asked to analyze and most
important of all, smile while communicating. Your body
language and eye contact will tell volumes about your
confidence levels.
It is also advised to not try and emulate someone else's
thoughts, just for the sake of showing agreement to a
particular line of thought. They will ask you to elaborate on
it and subtle changes of disagreement in your voice and
gestures will be easily visible to the trained eye. Hence, try
to be yourself as much as possible.
Reinstate and summarize your interests and strengths
respectively when the meeting comes to an end. Remember
that people always appreciate those who are willing to go
the extra mile in their quest for success.
2.16 GETTING RESULTS THE RIGHT WAY

In today‟s result-oriented world, there is a lot of focus
on achieving goals, setting targets, and meeting them.
While that is crucial in today‟s world, you will do good to
remember that any relationship – be it personal or
professional – owes its existence and value equally on the
other person too. No relationship can be a lasting one if the
other person is not being taken into consideration.
There is a tendency to be self-centered when you are
eager to get good results out of a deal, but you should have
the same eagerness towards meeting people too. Respecting
people and their personal boundaries is a good way to give
them respect. Over-eager calls on weekends and excessive
mailing is only two examples of many ways in which you
can easily tip to the other side of ambition.
Learn the act of making requests, and not commanding

people to meet your demands even if you are a supervisor,
or the boss. The ones who obey you when you shout at them
do it out of fear your designation demands. You could say
that they are respecting the designation, and not you.
Polite talking and respectfully presenting a point are
not only easier than bossing over individuals; they also
produce an amiable environment where the employees
work out of a genuine sense of passion, as compared to a
sense of obligation.

3.1 Definition
3.2 Importance
3.3 Significance
3.4 Business World
3.5 Good Standing Posture
3.6 Good Sitting Postures
3.7 The Proper Handshake
3.8 Proper Hand Movements
3.9 Crossed Legs Etiquettes
3.10 Pleasant Facial Expression
3.11 Walk Smart
3.12 Proper Eye Contact
3.13 Mind Your Fingers
3.14 Voice Control
3.15 Communicates
3.16 Head Position
3.17 Gestures & Words
3.18 Open & Closed
3.19 Eye Movements
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 To learn about body language, its importance and
significance
 To discuss various sitting and standing postures.
 To discuss the art of using hands and figures while
making a conversation.
 To discuss basic etiquettes while having a
conversation.
 To explain the importance of eye contact, eye

movements and voice modulation.
 To discuss various gestures and their relation with
words.
 To define and learn types of personality.
3.1 DEFINITION
Body Language is a non-verbal communication where
messages are sent through postures, eye-contacts,
movements, usage of space and change in the intonation of
voice etc. instead of using words and speech to
communicate.
The study of Body Language is also called “Kinesics”
derived from the Greek word “Kinesis” meaning “motion”.
Body Language operates on all three states of human
consciousness, i.e. conscious state, subconscious state and
unconscious state.
Many interviewers have mentioned an aural sense of
connection with some candidates who were independent of
their looks and the words they spoke. Many patients give
high points to their psychiatrists due to their ability to read
the unspoken part of a sentence, and be able to go - “I get
what you are saying…”
Body Language encompasses many studies like facial
expressions, analyzing the need for personal space,
mirroring your body movement with others, seating
positions and other signs.
3.2 IMPORTANCE
Body language is of utmost importance in this highly
competitive world. The corporate sector values good body
language a lot and any sign of bad body language can break
deals, even leading to loss of network for people.
An old adage says “Actions speak louder than words".
Our body posture, along with its movements and placement
of different body parts, play an important role in letting out
our feelings and emotions, even if we don‟t display the

emotions voluntarily.
Assertive behavior
A positive body language helps the person to be
more assertive and assists in putting his or her opinion
forward more easily than the others. Positive body
language is liked by other people and hence, the person
carrying a positive body language gets more attention and
favor in any discussion.
Non-verbal communication
Research says that our communication consists of 35%
verbal communication and 65% non-verbal
communication. This implies that whatever we speak
voluntarily comprises of just 35% of what the other person
makes out of us. The remaining 65% information about us
is learnt from our body language. Our body language helps
others identify our emotions, status and even our lifestyle.
Non-verbal communication plays a significant role in
conjunction with the spoken words. Our non-verbal
communication can reiterate our message, contradict our
words, reinforce our statement, substitute the meaning
of our sentences and complement the meaning of our
words. Since non-verbal communication can either
emphasize our point or contradict it, it is necessary to keep
our body language in sync with our emotions. Any sign of
conflict between the body language and our words can
make us appear untrustworthy and deceptive.
Workplace success
Positive body language is a must in workplaces and
corporate environment. Healthy body language can help
foster team spirit in the workplace, which can also
boost the morale of the employees. Delegation of
responsibilities becomes easier through positive body
language. It can also help in conveying respect for
colleagues and resolving conflicts in the organization.
During corporate meetings, one can display interest,

reception, and joy using positive body language. A gentle
smile, open palms, leaning forward and eye
contact can go a long way in establishing rapport with
another person in the meeting thus helping build and
sustain a healthy relationship with the other parties in a
meeting.
Relationships
Negative body language can give way to a lot of
misinterpretation and misunderstandings. Maintaining a
body posture and absurd body movements that is offensive
to the other person can ruin a relationship.
For instance, you need to understand the emotions and
mood of the other person and need to customize your
behavior accordingly. If your spouse is in a good mood, then
it is okay to laugh or tease her occasionally. However, the
same activity can be misinterpreted as sarcasm or irritable
behavior if the spouse is not in a good mood. This can lead
to issues between couples and can also lead to damaged
relationships.
Public speaking
In public speaking, body language assumes an
altogether different importance. If the speaker has a
defensive body language or has a passive body language,
there are high chances that he or she won‟t be listened to
intently by the audience. The impact factor of such
speeches also is reduced by a large fraction as
the audience gets 35% of the entire communication
but misses the remaining 65%. Hence, it‟s highly
important to have proper body movements and posture
while speaking on stage in front of an audience.
Body language is very important in all forms of
communication. It helps to break the barrier of
unfamiliarity and helps to form a better connect with the
recipient of information.
3.3 SIGNIFICANCE
We communicate constantly, even if we are not
speaking. We communicate a lot of what we need to say
through non-verbal methods. However, many tend to get
confused in trying to understand the difference between
body language and sign language. Let us discuss how body
language is different from sign languages.
Sign Language is a recognized and standardized
language that involves using signs and signals to
communicate with people with special needs. Body
Language, on the other hand, depends more on your
individual levels of understanding and interpreting hidden
meanings behind certain observations in a person‟s
behavior.
Experts have concluded that when in a conversation,
individuals or a group of people, about 70% of the
communication is held through gestures, expressions and
signaling, and words only contribute to 30% of the
communication.
This piece of information interestingly translates into,
what is more honest and reliable information, which can be
collected about a person and his thoughts just by observing
him in silence, as compared to having verbal

communication with him.
Someone, who has mastered the skills of decoding the
message, which body language conveys will have a clear
advantage of understanding the intentions and emotions
that are involved in any person's response. Needless to say,
such ability will carry enormous value in someone's career.
Knowing what is the appropriate point to expand upon
and which topic to discuss at any given time, by observing
the mood and body language of the other person would
undoubtedly give you an edge over the others in your
presentation skills. It will also help you in connecting with
your listeners on a sub-conscious level.
Many successful orators rely on their skills of decoding
the body language of their audience to change the flow of
their conversation or bring subtle alterations to their style
of delivery so that the crowd can get in the spirit of debate.
3.4 BUSINESS WORLD

Many people believe that Body Language is only for
those who are in the show business, and things like
studying Body Language is not necessary, if you keep
delivering on your targets. However, the days of only sitting
behind the desk and delivering output have long come and
gone. In today‟s world, companies need their employees to
be dynamic and resilient.
Companies need employees who don‟t say “NO” for an
answer and always strive to present a positive image about
themselves and the companies they represent.
Understanding people is the first step in improving
relations, and studying Body Language gives an honest
insight into the responses, feelings and thoughts of a
person with whom you are having a conversation with.
The way people cross their hands, shrug their
shoulders, move their eyes, change their tone is almost
never a conscious action, and that‟s why many people are
“caught lying” when their words don‟t match their body
language.
Imagine yourself in a training room where you are

supposed to be trained on “Self-confidence” and you spot
your trainer walking into the room with a thick book in
hand and yawning all the while. He comes in and says- “We
will discuss Self-confidence today, and I assure you that it‟s
going to be fun”. I am sure a thought would immediately
cross your mind that says = “I don’t think so”.
In other words, you can see that our actions speak
volumes about how we are and what we feel even if our
words do not. That‟s why the saying “Actions speak louder
than words” holds well significantly, in our lives.
Understanding the messages that our actions might be
giving to the viewers will help us in identifying those areas
that might be hindering our success.
It will also help us to know our personal tricks, i.e.
what actions we do when we are irritated or tired or getting
aggressive in our points. If we study these actions, we could
vary them so that we don‟t present a negative image of
ourselves.
For example, you subconsciously point your finger at
the person you are talking to when you want to stress out a
point. However, it could be so that the other person finds it
threatening or offensive. Now, even if your intentions are
honest, you might still find yourself getting misinterpreted.
Look at the picture below. If you study just the
expression, you will notice that it‟s a picture of a pleasant
young man, who looks bright and enthusiastic, someone
you might like to have a conversation with. But when you
combine that with the out-stretched fingers, and that too in
the pointing gesture, it automatically adds an air of
overconfidence and arrogance to it.
Now, can you bring yourself to believe that this person
is saying the truth when he says - “I like to learn as
much as possible. I believe in team-spirit and respect
other’s opinions.”?
The solution to this problem is in observing yourself in
front of a mirror and tries to act out your responses in
different situations. The idea is to not be obvious.
Remember that, Body Language operates on a subconscious

level. Keep the role-play on, but keep recording your
expressions and body movements. Take special note of the
eyebrows, hands, palms, shoulders and head.
Now ask a friend to copy your movements and when he
enacts the situation again, just analyze them. You will be
surprised to see how aggressive and wrong the messages
your body sends are, especially when employed with words.
This needs to be a continuous exercise as studying
Body Language is only the first step. The more important
one is to improve it and even more importantly, how to
make the new, improved Body Language a part of your life.
This needs constant practice and observation.
It might sound impossible at first but it is the habit of
actors and politicians to practice and smoothen their body
language in such a smooth and polished manner that they
immediately know how to tackle their emotions when, a
controversial question is asked, out of the blue.
This expert handling of their feelings, such that their
face or body do not betray their emotions i.e. their body
language following their words is what gives them an air of
authority, and makes them a picture of assured confidence
and calmness.
3.5 GOOD STANDING POSTURE

Most of the times when we meet people, we are
standing in front of them. Be it a casual meeting on the
roadside or meeting someone in the office or having a
conversation with a friend at a party, many of the
conversations in our life happens in a standing position.
Following are the important postures to look for while
standing and having a conversation.
RULE 1: STAND ERECT

The first point to be kept in mind is to stand with the
spine erect. The back must be straight as this gives an
impression of being tall. A taller appearance creates good
impression as well. You must not slouch or hunch.
Hunching or slouching gives an impression of

laziness and lethargy. A person won‟t like to approach you
to talk if you appear to be weak or lethargic. Active
personality is always preferred by people. Bad standing
posture also symbolizes low self-esteem. This is not a good
attribute to sport while standing.
RULE 2: FACE THE PERSON

The second point to remember is to not face
sideways from your listener. Try to stand facing the
person who you are communicating with. Standing
sideways shows that you want to run away from the person
and don‟t want to continue talking. Watch out for the same
signals from the other person as well. If that person is

standing sideways, please stop the conversation as soon as
possible. This is because the other person is not interested
in the conversation.
The best way to stand is to direct your heart
towards the other person. Ensure that your heart faces
the heart of the other person without any obstruction in
between. Standing with arms crossed over the chest is also
a big „No‟. It is better to stand akimbo or with your
hands over your waist. Having crossed arms
symbolizes defensive position or introvert nature. This
type of attitude is seldom liked by people and it puts most
of the people off.
RULE 3: FREE YOUR HANDS

The third point to be careful about is to not put your
hands inside your pockets, while talking to someone.
This posture shows disrespect. Keeping hands in the pocket
shows that a person is not interested to talk. Remember
that arms are the vocal chords of body language and can
speak volumes about your attitude and interest.
RULE 4: LOOK INTO THE EYES

The fourth point to be careful about is to look into the
eyes of the other person without intimidating him or
her. If you keep looking away from the other person, it will
show lack of interest in the conversation on your part. Keep
looking for these signs in the other person too. Perhaps, the
other person is looking away from you for most of the time.
That will mean that the person is not engrossed in you and
hence, it is better to let the person go.
RULE 5: MOVE, YET MIND YOUR LIMBS

Last but not the least; it is okay to have some limb
movements. Moving hands to a certain extent shows your
interest in the conversation and your excitement levels
too. Don’t fret too much with hands and try to keep
your palms open. You should also stand with your legs
apart. Don‟t fiddle with your nose using your fingers
because that symbolizes shyness and lack of confidence.
Moreover, the legs must not be crossed. Crossed legs
signify uncertainty and closed nature.
3.6 GOOD SITTING POSTURES

A lot of conversations happen while sitting as well. Job
interviews, group discussions, or even candid talk with
friends happen a lot while sitting in a restaurant, café or
library. A lot of attention needs to be given to body
language while having a conversation in the sitting
position.
RULE 1: FACE THE PERSON

Always face towards the other person while
speaking. Like in standing posture, here too, try to face
your heart towards the heart of the other person. Don’t sit
sideways unless necessary.
Also keep looking out for such signs in the other
person. If the other person is sitting sideways for some
considerable amount of time, it is better to drop out of the
conversation as the other person is not interested.
RULE 2: LOOK INTO THE EYES

The second point is to maintain direct eye
contact with the other person. Look into the eyes of the
other person without intimidating him or her.
RULE 3: MIND YOUR LEGS

The third point to focus on is the movement of legs.
Since legs are far away from our eyes, we usually forget to
keep the legs in check. Too much leg movement is not a
good sign. Juggling of the legs show lack of interest in the
ongoing activity and a longing to escape from it.
RULE 4: DON‟T SLOUCH

The fourth point to take care of is to not hunch or
slouch while sitting. During a job interview, don‟t place
your arms over the desk and don‟t lean forward. The feet
must be placed firm on the ground and must not be juggling
at all. The spine must be straight and head must be held
high. However, when you are having a candid conversation
with friends, it is fine to place your arms over the desk and
to lean forward. That shows your interest in what the other
person is saying.
While sitting, avoid massaging your head, ears or
forehead. Doing so signifies vulnerability and uneasiness.
RULE 5: SCREAM OF IMPORTANCE

While sitting during any conversation, don‟t restrict
your legs to a small space. Try to spread out your legs a
little. It shows that you occupy some space and that you are
in charge.
During group discussions, it is a bad gesture for a
man to keep one’s legs crossed. However, ladies can sit
with legs crossed without any issue. During interviews, it is
preferred to sit with uncrossed legs as it signifies
openness and acceptance.
3.7 THE PROPER HANDSHAKE

Handshakes are an indispensable part of our lives. Day
in and day out, we meet friends and colleagues with whom
we are supposed to shake hands. Handshakes are as old as
the human civilization. In Roman times, the practice of
lower arm grasp was followed as a way to check if the other
person has concealed a dagger under the sleeves. Slowly,
this converted to a form of common greeting and then, it
eventually turned into the modern day handshake.
Shaking hands has a lot of Do‟s and Don‟ts. You
should not always offer a handshake to a stranger.
Handshake is a sign of welcoming people. If you are unsure
whether you are welcome at one place or not, it is better to
not go for a handshake. Salespeople can be observed taking
care of this all the while they meet a new person. They
resort to a simple head-nod rather than initiating a

handshake. A handshake should not convey dominance
or submission. What it should actually show is equality.
Let‟s take a quick look at some of the common handshake
customs around the world and their features.
The equality handshake

Whenever you shake hands, it‟s interpreted as a subtle
symbolic power struggle between you and the other person.
In short, the palm of either of those involved in the
handshake must neither be facing down nor facing up.
For a proper handshake, the palms of both the
individuals must be in vertical position. Then, both
the people must apply the same pressure. If you find
that the pressure you are applying is greater or lesser than
the other person, then you need to modulate your pressure
accordingly.
The submissive handshake

The submissive handshake happens when your palm in
facing up and is below the palm of the other person. This is
called “palm up thrust”. This makes you look
submissive. Don’t let the other person get an upper
hand at the handshake.
The dominant handshake

The opposite of submissive handshake is the dominant
handshake. This happens when you place your arm above
the palm of the other person and hence, your palm is facing
down. This is called “palm down thrust”. This handshake
conveys authority and dominance on your part. Don‟t let
the world think that you are submissive just because your
palms are placed over the palm of the other person.
The double handler handshake

When a person presents you with a palm down thrust,
respond with your hand in the palm up position and then
apply your second hand to make his palm straight. It is
considered to be one of the most powerful handshakes in
the world as it symbolizes sincerity and a strong bond
between the two people involved in the handshake. This
handshake is also called as the politician’s handshake,
since politicians use this type of handshake a lot.
The wet fish handshake

This is one of the worst handshakes in the world. In
this handshake, the hands are cold and sweaty. This is
perceived as a weak handshake and the person giving such
a handshake is considered to be of weak character and to be
lacking commitment.
The vice handshake

The vice handshake is another much loathed
handshake around the world. This handshake is done by a
palm up thrust and then a stronghold of the other person‟s
hands followed by vigorous hand movements. The strokes
are so hard that it appears the person giving such a
handshake is too authoritative and dominant.
The bone breaker handshake

In the bone breaker handshake, the person giving this
handshake grips the hand of the other person and grinds it
with his hands. This handshake signifies aggressive
personality and should not be used at all.
The fingertip handshake

One of the most hated types of handshakes is the
fingertip handshake. In this type of handshake, the two
people merely touch the fingertips of each other and give a
very slight stroke or may even miss the stroke. This
handshake conveys lack of confidence and lack of self-
esteem. This is a handshake observed many a times during
job interviews. Even before the interview begins, this type
of handshake puts off the interviewer and the interviewee‟s
impression goes for a toss.
The straight finger handshake

In this type of handshake, the person giving the hand
has all his fingers straight. It is a very bad and rude
gesture not to clasp the palm of the other person, as it
shows lack of interest in the meeting and repulsion towards
the other person. Always remember to clasp the hands of
the other person during a handshake and give it a proper
stroke.
Important tips
 It should be noted that after giving a handshake,
one should not hold or touch the arm of the person
with the other hand. It is a mark of patronizing,
which is not seen in good light by people across the
world. Only people who are at a higher authority can
do so.
 One‟s hands should not be sweaty or wet while
giving a handshake. It is quite unprofessional and
rude to have clammy hands while giving a

handshake.
 You should stand straight or you can bend a little to
show respect while shaking hands. It is always to be
noted that the palms and the hands must be vertical
while giving the handshake, so as to signify
equality.
3.8 PROPER HAND MOVEMENTS

Hand movements are quite involuntary in nature.
However, they tell us a lot about the other person who is
using his or her hands while talking. There are rules for
positive body language even in case of movement of hands.
Rule 1: open your palms

The first rule is to have an open palm always. Open
palms signify openness and acceptance. Open palms
also signify honesty and sincerity. However, there is a
way to read the open palms as well. If the palms are open
while talking but are faced downwards, it signifies a bit of
authoritative attitude of the person. This is visible
especially in case of handshakes, as we saw in the previous
chapter.
However, if the palms are open and are facing

upwards, then it is a non-threatening sign. This person is
approachable and can be seen as friendly in nature. The
turn of palms, hence, completely alters the way others
perceive us.
Rule 2: uncross the arms

While speaking, the arms should not be crossed and the
hands must not be clasped. Clasped hands show lack of
commitment and lack of confidence. Crossed arms
show defensive or nervous position. It has also been
observed that if a person stands with his arms crossed,
then he grasps much less of the conversation as compared
to a person with open arms. Moreover, defensive body
language also leads to lower retention power.
It is in our common nature to cross our arms so as to
feel comfortable. However, studies have shown that such a
body language is perceived as negative by people.
Moreover, clenched fists are also a big no during
conversations. The arms should not go below the waist level
and must always be raised above the waist while speaking.
The arms can occasionally go down but it should not be so
throughout the conversation.
Rule 3: don‟t grip your arms

While speaking to someone, don’t grip your arms by
crossing them. It is a sign of insecurity. Always avoid
holding your arms together in front of your groin area,
as it shows insecurity as well. It is called the Broken
Zipper position. This is one posture that shows insecurity
and submission at the same time and hence, must be
avoided at all costs.
Don’t keep adjusting your cuff links in the public

as it again shows you are too much concerned about your
insecurities of coming out in public. The ladies must make a
note that they should not clutch their handbags close to
themselves as they talk as it shows their defensive position
and their insecure nature.
Rule 4: zero arm barriers

When you are in a restaurant, don‟t clutch your coffee
mug close to your chest. There should be no arm
barrier when you talking to another person. Keep an open
body language and hold the coffee mug at a side.
Rule 5: parallel over perpendicular

In group discussions, it is a mandate that if you have to
point towards someone, don‟t use the arm that will be
perpendicular to them. Use the other arm that can point to
them and can be parallel to your chest too. Having the arm
perpendicular to your chest to point out to others is
generally a rude gesture. Always try to have the arm
parallel to the body.
Arms and hands have to be used carefully in
conversations. The movement of your arms and hands can
make or mar your discussion and can alter the outcomes
significantly.
3.9 CROSSED LEGS ETIQUETTES

Legs are far from our eyes and hence, there are high
chances that they get ignored by us during our
conversations. However, they do convey a lot of information
about our emotions and feelings all the time.
The movement of hands and head certainly contributes
to the art of positive body language. However, legs do have
their own importance and must be maintained in proper
positions. Let‟s take a look at what different types of leg
crosses imply.
The standing leg cross

The standing leg cross is a body gesture of defiance,
defensiveness and submission. This is the posture that
is mostly adopted by people when they meet others who are
complete strangers.
The standing leg cross symbolizes denial to access to
the genitals. This is the reason why this posture is
considered to be defensive in nature. Hence, such a gesture
shows that the person is not confident of oneself, or in other
words, lacks self-confidence.
For women, it shows that she wants to stay in the

conversation but access to her is denied. In the case of men,
it again signifies that the man wants to stay in the
conversation but he also wants to ensure that he is not
open to everybody‟s access.
Hence, the next time, even if someone looks to be
friendly in conversation and having relaxed facial
expressions along with proper hand movements, but
crossed leg position, please note that the person is not as
confident or relaxed as he or she is trying to appear.
Always remember the following mantra −

 Open legs − Confidence
 Closed or crossed legs − Reticence
If a person in front of you is talking to you candidly and
yet has this posture, it is better to leave and put the person
at ease. This is because the person is actually not that
comfortable talking to you as he/she is portraying.
The double cross

The double cross happens when the person concerned
crosses both the legs and arms. This shows that the person
is totally uninterested in speaking to you. Such people
are not receptive to communication and hence, it is
better either to create a quick rapport with them or leave.
FIGURE FOUR LEG CLAMP

In this posture, the person locks his one leg over the
other and places both his hands on to the raised leg. This
gesture shows that the person is totally disinterested in us
and is stubborn in attitude. This gesture also signifies
that the person is tough minded and does not respect
others‟ opinion. He is just concerned about his own
opinions.
THE ANKLE LOCK

In this posture, the person locks the ankles together.
The palms may be clenched in a fist or may be placed on
the legs or may be even clutching a chair. This gesture
shows that the person is hiding some negative emotion, like
anxiety or fear or doubt.
Such type of body language is usually seen with people
who are being charged for some crime or being produced in
a court for hearing. This is one posture that should be
avoided as well.
THE LEG TWINE

In this posture, one of the legs is raised and is locked
around the other leg. This is a gesture of shyness and
timidity. This one gesture is exclusive to women and is
symbolic of insecurity.
Parallel legs
This is one leg posture that should be adopted by
women. It is hardly ever seen being reproduced by any
male. This posture gives women a healthier and more
attractive look and projects a powerful signal of feminity.
This leg posture accounts for a positive body language,
confidence and attractiveness and is considered to be
the best leg posture for women. It also gives a youthful look
to the ladies.
Dominant stand
This is one posture that is commonly seen with men
and women in the military. In this position, the person
spreads the legs apart and the feet is placed firmly on the
ground. This is a posture of dominance. This posture
may look good and dignified in the armed forces, but
sometimes it can also look intimidating to other people,
because the person taking a dominant stand may appear to
be authoritative.
Attention position
This posture is generally suited for situations when a
person who is junior in rank is meeting a person senior in
rank. This posture conveys no commitment to stay or leave.
This posture, therefore, shows that the person is neutral

towards the situation and that they have no closed or
negative opinions.
Basic do‟s and don‟ts

Care must also be taken while sitting. Many people sit
by turning the chair around and sitting on it by placing the
chest on the chair‟s frame. This is done mainly to show that
the person is occupying space and is trying to be assertive,
yet it gives away an altogether opposite message. This
posture shows that the person is not confident and is trying
to protect himself or herself by creating a barrier between
him or her and the other person.
Tapping of foot is also a big problem with many
people that needs to be worked on. The habit of repeated
foot tapping on the floor is symbolic of anxiety and
impatience. When people wait to receive exam results or
medical reports or anything that has a lot of uncertainty
associated with it, they begin to tap their foot repeatedly.
For job interviews or group discussions, the legs must
be uncrossed and parallel and the feet must be placed
firmly on the ground. Women can cross their legs in the
form of European leg cross, when they are in group
discussions but it is a big „No‟ for men to do so. Placement of
legs and feet play a pivotal role in conveyance of messages
of the mind and in getting selected at job interviews and
group discussions.
3.10 PLEASANT FACIAL EXPRESSION

Facial expressions do a majority of the task of
conveying information to the other person. An average
person may not be able to read the body language of legs or
arms. But almost everyone can read the signals displayed
on the face of a person. Therefore, it is of high importance
that we maintain a good and acceptable facial expression,
lest we are hated by everyone for being non- approachable.
The first expression that everyone looks for in a person
is the smile. Smile can be rejuvenating, yet deceptive at the
same time. A woman with a tight-lipped smile that reveals

no teeth is actually symbolic of her lack of interest in the
conversation, although it may seem to an average person
that she is engrossed in the ongoing talk.
An original smile vs. A fake smile

There are many traits of an original smile. Whenever a
person smiles naturally, without any voluntary force,
wrinkles are created around the eyes. This is because in an
original smile, the lip corners are pulled up and the muscles
around the eyes are contracted. In a fake smile, only lip
movements happen. People giving fake smiles smile only
through their mouth and not eyes.
However, what if the person who you are talking to

tries to produce a fake smile by wrinkling his or her eyes
voluntarily? There is a trick to identify this as well. When a
smile is genuine, the fleshy part of the eye between the
eyebrow and the eyelid moves downward and the ends of
the eyebrows also dip to a slight extent.
Research has proved that the more a person smiles, the

more positive reaction he/she gets from the others. There is
one more way to detect false smiles. When a person tries to

fake a smile, the right hemisphere of the brain – the one
specializing in facial expressions – sends signals only to the
left side of the body. Hence, a fake smile will always be
stronger on one side and weaker on the other side.
However, in a genuine smile, both parts of the brain send
signals and hence, the smile is equally strong on both the
sides.
If the person‟s eyes are looking away from you, then
you must realize that the person is bored of you and it is
better to either change the topic of discussion or leave.
However, if the lips are slightly pressed, the eyebrows are
raised and there is a steady gaze of eyes at you along with
the head erect or slightly pushed forward, then this implies
interest of the person in you.
3.11 WALK SMART

A lot of information is conveyed not only by how you
stand or how you talk, but also by how you move. The style
of walking conveys a lot of information about our self-
confidence and our mannerisms. This is one reason why the
body language coaches teach walking styles to their
students.
Rule 1: stand erect and face up

The first thing to keep in mind is that you should not
slouch or hunch while walking. The back has to be
straight and the spine must be erect. Your head must
be upright and your eyes must be looking at the front.
The chin must be up all the time. Most people look down
while walking. This is not considered to be elegant.
Moreover, if you slouch or hunch while walking, you will be
considered to be weak and lacking in energy and
enthusiasm.
Bad posture while walking, if continued for longer
periods of time, can lead to back pain, stiff neck and other
serious ailments.
Rule 2: use all muscles

It is recommended to use all your muscle groups in the
legs while walking. While walking, try to visualize pushing
off with your back foot using your hamstrings and
quadriceps, and pushing yourself forward on to the heel of
the other foot. Try to roll your foot forward, heel to toe. This
helps the calf muscles to work and helps you to keep your
feet at the correct angle at each step.
Rule 3: pull back the shoulders

The next thing to keep in mind is to keep the shoulders
pulled back, yet relaxed. Keeping a pulled back yet relaxed
position of shoulders helps to maintain a stable and vertical
column of support while you walk. Along with the straight
back and chin up posture, this way of walking helps to
reduce chances of injury. This posture also helps to exude
confidence and strength.
While walking, the upper body also needs to come into

play along with the legs. The arms have to swing properly
to project confidence. The arms must move in smaller arc as
you begin to walk. The faster you walk, the larger the arc
must become. Movement of arms helps to gain a better
stride.
Rule 4: get the correct pace

The pace of the walk also matters a lot. While walking,
the pace must be such that you can speak properly to a
person while continuing your walk and should not appear
breathless at the same time.
Walking smartly also involves not taking too long
strides as you walk. Lengthening the gait stretches the leg
muscles unnecessarily and leads to destabilization of the
stride. Research has found that a little swag of the
shoulders has a certain kind of sex-appeal associated with
it.
While walking the hips must be level and the steps
must be of equal length. You must bend your arms at 90
degrees at the elbow and swing properly with the opposite
leg. This helps in gaining balance while walking. The knees
must point forward and the pelvis must be tucked under
the torso. The head should also not be tilted and must be
held high. Last but not the least, land your heel first on the
ground, and not the toe.
3.12 PROPER EYE CONTACT

Eyes have such a huge importance in any conversation
or interaction that if the language of the eyes go wrong, the
entire conversation and the repute of the person goes
wrong. Eyes speak a language that is inescapable from
others‟ eyes.
Eye contact regulates conversation and hints about
submission and dominance as well. What people notice
about another when they meet for the first time are the
eyes. And hence, both the parties involved make quick
judgments about each other based on the eyes. Eyes
are hence, the medium of conveying information about

other people‟s attitudes and thoughts.
Let us look at some of the messages conveyed by the eyes.
The Dilating and Contracting of Pupils
When someone gets excited, the pupils get
dilated and can actually dilate up to four times the
original size. Conversely, when a person is angry or in
any other negative mood, the pupils contract. Hence,
if you find that the other person‟s pupils have dilated, it
means the person is interested in you or in your talk. But if
the pupils have contracted, then it is better to understand
that the person is not interested.
The eyebrow flash

In almost every culture, a long distance “hello” is
conveyed by the quick rise and fall of the eyebrow. This is
called as the eyebrow flash. The split second movement of
the eyebrow is a way of greeting each other. However, in
Japan, it has a negative connotation and hence, must
not be used with Japanese people.
The game of eyebrows

The raising of eyebrows during conversation
implies submission. On the other hand, the lowering of
eyebrows signifies dominance. Those people who
intentionally raise their eyebrows are found to appear
submissive and those who lower their eyebrows are
generally considered to be aggressive.
There is one catch here. When ladies lower their

eyelids and raise their eyebrows at the same time, it
conveys sexual submissiveness. This expression must,
hence, be avoided in formal and corporate environments.
It is always recommended that a person must maintain
eye contact with the other person to show a level of interest
and intent. However, if you keep on looking at the other
person for a long time, it may put the other person at some
discomfort. The other person may be intimidated by your
gaze. In most cultures, it has been found that to build a
good rapport with the other person; your gaze must meet
the other person’s gaze for about 60% to 70% of the
time. If you keep gazing at them with interest, the other
people will think that you like them and hence, they will
reciprocate with their gaze as well.
However, if you find that the other person is not
looking at you for a certain period of time and is rather
looking away from you continuously, and then the
conversation needs to end or the topic of the conversation
has to change.
If you are unsure of how long you must look at the
other person, the safest bet is to look at the other person for
the time he or she is looking at you. Looking away during
an interrogation also gives away the cue that the person is
lying.
The sideways glance
The sideways glance can be perceived as an expression

of interest or even hostility. When a sideways glance is
combined with a smile or slightly raised eyebrows, it can
communicate interest and is also a famous courtship signal.
However, if the sideways glance is combined with a frown,
downturned eyebrows and downturned lips, it can convey
suspicion, criticism, or even hostility.
The magic of blinking

The rate at which your eyes blink is also a conveyor of
valuable information. If you are interested in someone or
someone‟s talk, you will not bat your eyelid as often.
However, if you are not interested in someone, your rate of
blinking the eyes will increase dramatically. Increase in
the blinking rate of the eyes conveys disinterest or
boredom.
The dart
If the eyes of the other person begin to dart from one
side to the other, it implies that the person has lost interest
in you and is looking for escape routes to get rid of you.
This reveals the other person‟s insecurity.
The authority gaze

One way to exude authority is to lower your eyebrows,
narrow the eyelids and focus closely on the other person.
This gives an impression of what predators do before

attacking their prey. The blinking rate has to decrease and
there must be a constant focus on the other person‟s eyes.
Eye contact and eye movements are an important part
of our communication skills and also our body language.
Hence, it is of utmost importance to maintain a decent eye
contact with the other person, without intimidating him or
her. Eye contact plays a significant role in sales interviews,
job interviews, and in casual conversations as well.
3.13 MIND YOUR FINGURES

Even if the eyes, arms, and legs are at a proper place,
the fingers can still play a spoilsport. The hands and the
fingers together give away a lot of information about us and
the other people as well. Moreover, when we speak with our
hand gestures and finger movements, it is easier for the
other person to retain what we have spoken about. Hence,
hand movements help in retention of messages too. Let us
take a look at the different hand gestures that are
commonly observed around the world.
Rubbing of palms
The rubbing of palms against each other is
perceived to be a sign of expectancy. Rubbing of palms
together is symbolic of having expectation of positive
outcomes. This expression is quite common in sales pitch as
well. The sales teams of many organizations tell about an
offer to other people using folded hands and palms rubbing
against each other.
Rubbing the palms at a faster rate shows that the
person is thinking of the benefits for the other and is an
apparently good-natured person. But a slow rub of hands
with a smile conveys that the intentions are devious and
the person is selfish.
Thumb and finger rub

The rubbing of fingers and the thumb against each
other shows that the person has an expectancy of getting
money. This is one reason why this gesture must be used

with caution in front of people.
Clenched hands
People who stand or sit with clenched fists convey
frustration. People adopt clenched fists when they are
anxious, angry or fed up with something, but are trying to
restrain themselves. The clenched fists can conceal the
negative feelings of the person when the person is losing
some deal or is not feeling good about his current
experience.
The steeple
The steeple is the gesture which a person gives by

placing his fingers of one hand over the fingers of the other
hand and forming a church steeple. This gesture shows
confidence and can also exude authority, and in many
cases, superiority.
This gesture needs to be avoided if you want to
persuade someone, as it can give a wrong signal that you
are trying to be haughty and are trying to impose your
thoughts rather than trying to convince.
The face platter

The face platter is a positive body gesture in which a
person, especially a lady, places the fingers of one hand
over those of the other and then places her chin on the
combination of fingers. This is used to increase one‟s appeal
and is a way to present one‟s face to the other.
Holding hands back

Holding hands back is a way to show superiority,
power, and confidence, and is often adopted by royal
families, police force, or the military. Along with a straight
back and chin held up, it shows that the person holds
authority and deserves awe and respect. This posture is
recommended to those people who feel tensed during job
interviews.
If one hand grips the wrist of the other hand, it conveys
frustration and an attempt of self-control. As the hand
climbs the other hand from the wrist, the level of
frustration being exuded increases. If a person holds his
arm with the other hand, it means that the frustration level
of the person is higher.
One also needs to be cautious about the display of

thumb in public. If your thumb protrudes out of your
waistcoat or your pocket, it is symbolic of aggressive
attitude and dominance. This gesture is usually adopted by

people of higher social stature.
If a person has kept his hands inside the back pockets
and the thumbs are protruding, then it shows that the
person is trying to hide some feeling from us. Some people
close their arms and yet, keep displaying their thumbs.
That is again, a way to show dominance along with showing
that he/she is closed to conversations.
3.14 VOICE CONTROL

The way you talk to others matters a lot in building a
rapport with them. To look civilized and to also generate
interest in other people, it is required for a person to
master the following fundamentals −
 Pace
 Pause
 Pitch
The voluntary variation of these parameters is called
the “voice modulation”. Pace is the number of words
being spoken per unit of time, like number of words per
minute. Pause is the number of seconds or any other unit of
time that appears between two words or two phrase or two
sentences. Pitch is the rate of vibration or the frequency of
the sound wave. Voice modulation helps to make use of all
the three parameters and blend them to make an adorable
voice.
Pace
To have a good voice, one needs to have an appropriate
pace at which one speaks. Pace is subjective. What is
required is that each and every word must be clear when
spoken and must not wrap over the previous or the next
word.
Pause
A pause of 2 seconds is called a short pause. A pause of
more than 2 seconds is considered to be a long pause.
Pauses can play a significant role in driving a point and

also to bring humor. The speaker must give a pause of 2
seconds after every sentence. A comma is equivalent of 1
quick count, a semi-colon is equivalent of 2 quick counts
and a period is equivalent of 3 quick counts. This is the way
a person must manage the pauses between his words,
phrases, and sentences.
Pitch
Pitch has to be such that the voice appears pleasant to
the ears. Too low a pitch and too high a pitch are never
liked by people. Whenever something serious or tragic is
being spoken about, the pitch must be low. The things that
are associated with joy or surprise can be spoken about in a
high-pitched tone.
The loudness of the person must match the loudness of
the other person or people involved in the conversation. If
the other person is speaking in a low volume, it is unwise to
keep the volume high then.
Putting some pressure over the words and syllables
helps to give importance to those words and helps to carve
out the meaning of the words more effectively.
Putting some pressure over the words and syllables
helps to give importance to those words and helps to carve
out the meaning of the words more effectively.
Examples of Pause
There is a way in which pause brings humor. The
following examples show it well. Please note that “…”
means a pause of 2 seconds.
 How many of you know that, thanks to me, my

colleague is expecting … a hike in her salary?”
 Yesterday, I realized that my girlfriend is hot …
tempered!
Pause helps to emphasize on your message too. Take
for instance the following statement. “..” means a pause of 1
second.
 The world is going to be hotter … hotter … and
hotter with each passing year.
Practicing yoga and doing pranayama can help in
gaining control over breath, which can help us to speak
from the diaphragm and hence, make our pitch and volume
better.
3.15 COMMUNICATES
Body Language needs an acute understanding of
responses of the body with respect to the questions asked.
You need to be quite observant while listening to people‟s
answers to understand what they really mean. However,
the tricky part is, not to show that you are observing their
hand movements or the way they stand when they are
talking to you, or else you will give them a misconception of
being uninterested in the conversation and absent-minded.
BODY LANGUAGE IS ACCENTUATED IN THE FOLLOWING

OBSERVATIONS.
Distance
The distance people feel necessary to maintain between
them and the other person tells us about their cultural or
social background.
It‟s generally observed that people living in the metros
are much more adept at handling distances as compared to
those living in the country-side, who feel uncomfortable
with someone standing at a certain distance near them, as
they have a bigger “personal space bubble”.
Posture
Much information about a person can be obtained from
the way he positions his body while addressing people. It is
a known ploy with the lawyers to put the tip of the fingers
together in a pyramid structure to imply knowledge.
They also put their fists on their hips to give an air of
superiority. All these are well-known ways of sending
subconscious messages to the Judge and the Jury about his
being in total control of what he speaks.
Expression
If you were to observe the way someone‟s eyes operate
while answering specific questions, you will notice a
pattern emerging. Some people feel uncomfortable with a
few questions and tend to look downwards. Questions they
don‟t know the answers to, are often met with eyes tending
to roll upwards.
Although, to be honest - this is dependent on culture.
Americans like to maintain eye-contact while speaking to
people as that gives them a sense of honesty and
confidence. If you try the same trick with the Italians, they
will either think you are challenging them or flirting with
them - both big “No! No!” points in a business scenario!
Touch
A lot of people tend to cross their arms when they are
distressed. It is basically a self-hug to reassure themselves
that everything will be all right and things will be better
after sometime. It is also a kind of self-consolatory and self-
motivating action.
Nervous people tend to hold on to the arms of the
chairs when they are asked to answer certain behavioral
questions. These all can be observed and information
gained.
Breathing
Your rate of breathing while responding to a question
also speaks volumes about how much you were affected by
the question.
Actors, politicians and lawyers have mastered the art
of presenting the “stone-face”, which is a blank,
expressionless face, when questions related to their
personal lives are asked.
Slouching
Those who slouch while sitting in their chairs present a
very lethargic and uninterested picture to the person
observing them. Slouching is either seen as a sign of
boredom or arrogance.
LEGS IN „4‟
You get this posture by extending both your legs out
and then crossing one leg over the other. Many consider
this to be a power posture and is used by people who like to
show that they are in control.
3.16 HEAD POSITION

Most of the clues that you would get about a person‟s
thought and acceptance would be from observing the way
he uses his head, palms, finger, legs and eyes. Let‟s
understand the general meanings of the movements that
are associated with these parts of the body and the message
they pass.
While the basic movements associated with the head
like nodding and shaking the head could be fairly
straightforward in their meaning, movements like tilting
the head could give mixed signals to a lot of observers. Let‟s
discuss them one by one.
Sr.No Movements & Description
1. Nodding Head
Nodding generally means being in agreement to what is
spoken. A gentler nod means appreciation and interest,
however, nodding rapidly may signal impatience and the need
to hurry things up.

2. Head Held Firm
A person listening with his head up is listening to your
explanation without having any agenda or vested interests. In
other words, he is listening with an open mind and without
prejudice. The judges typically adopt this head position to
imply a sense of fair trial.
3. Head Held Down
A heads-down listening to someone gives the exact opposite
impression to the speaker. It gives the impression that the
listener has already made up his mind to his share of the
story and is just keeping quiet to avoid conflict.
4. Tilting Head Down
Head tilted to a side signals trust. It means the person likes
what you are saying to him and believes your words.
However, someone tilting his head while resting it on his
hand will give an exactly opposite idea.
5. Head Held High
Holding the head high while talking gives you an air of
superiority in the eyes of the people you are addressing.
Throughout the history of sports, you will find aggressive
captains talking to their team this way.
6. Chin Pointing Up
Holding the chin up signifies arrogance and defying orders.
Children who think they are being wrongly blamed for
starting a fight often defy orders and words of their parents
with a stiff.
7. Head Leaning Forward
Head leaning forward is a positive sign of interest. It is a
primitive instinct of leaning forward towards the speaker to
listen and show interest.
8. Head Tilted Down
While tilting the head to one side signifies interest, tilting the
head down means distrust, or at the very least, doubt. It
means the person is taking time to rethink what you said and
judge its veracity.
9. Shaking of Head
A head shaking from one side to the other signifies a „no‟. It is
also a primitive instinct of a baby denying the intake of any
more milk from his mother, by moving his head away from
the source.
3.17 GESTURES & WORDS

Scientists claim that the human brain processes
gestures from the same place of the brain from where it
processes words. This means there is an innate link
between our gestures and the words we speak, and any dis-
coordination between both will be noticed immediately.
S.No. Gestures & Description
1. Pointing with Finger
People getting pointed at will be intimidated with this
gesture. It is normally used to show dominance and
authority.
2. Wagging Finger Side To Side
This gesture is used to deny an action or negate a
statement. It‟s used as the substitute to the head wagging
from side to side.
3. Wagging Finger Up To Down
This motions people to sit down, and if used while
presenting points, this gesture helps in underlining
important parts of the speech.
4. Pointing Thumb Upwards
Pointing thumbs upward means appreciating some task
that is well-done and meets your standards of approval.
5. Pointing Thumb Downwards
Pointing thumbs downward, on the other hand, signifies
disappointment in the effort. It also means „no‟ in taking
opinions on something.
6. Index Finger Touching Thumb
This is the „Okay‟ sign and signifies that everything is fine
and meets your requirement. This was made famous by the
US president, Martin Van Buren during his presidential
campaign.
3.18 OPEN & CLOSED

Personalities are often described in terms of their
tendency to be open or closed. It means that while some
people appear to be interactive even from a distance, the
same cannot be said of a few whose body language appears
to be secretive, close, and silent.
Open body language

People with open personalities are expressive,
interactive, and hands-on. They also are, at times,
aggressive and argumentative. They tend to make
extensive use of hands while speaking.
Uncrossed legs
This is a relaxed person who wants to have a
conversation. However, a person with uncrossed legs and
leaning forward to put his elbows on these thighs could be
worried about something.
Uncrossed arms
Open arms may point at a frankness of opinion and
presents an open and honest image. Politicians normally
use their arms to wave at people and raise them with open
palms to sign trust and faith.
Closed body language

People with closed personalities are the ones with
hidden motives. They tend to cross their arms, cross their
legs, keep hands close to their body while speaking, and a
one-tone voice.
Crossing of arms
This stance gives the impression that you have already
taken your decision and you are going to defend it no
matter what. It‟s hostile and discourages discussion.
Crossing of legs when seated

Putting one leg over the other leg‟s knee is both a
defensive and an aggressive message. It tells the person
talking to you to not waste time explaining his points.
Arms in front of body

It is normally a sign of nervousness and can be seen in
people who are either aspirant in an interview or first-time
employees on their first day.
Crossing of legs in standing

It could either mean a relaxed frame of mind or an
interest to have a conversation on a topic. People crossing
legs while standing like to share their knowledge on a
particular subject.
3.19 EYE MOVEMENTS

Eyes are considered to be the mirrors to a man‟s mind.
While combined with other gestures, eyes can give much
information about the thoughts running inside a person‟s
mind.
S.No. Movements & Description
1. Looking to Left
Looking to the left and down while talking signifies that the
speaker is either recollecting facts. Looking at left and
straight means the speaker is having a self-conversation
before re-engaging in a debate or conversation.
2. Glancing
While looking at sideways, it means you are either hearing
certain sounds or you are interested in imagining a story.
Many children have this look in their eyes when they are
asked to write on an imaginary situation.
3. Looking to Right
Looking to the right and down while speaking signifies self
doubt, whereas looking right and straight/up signifies lying.
Looking to the right activates imagination and left activates
memory.
4. Eye-contact
When speaking, this could mean the person is being honest
in his speech. When someone maintains eye-contact with
you when he is listening to what you are saying, it means
he is interested in the conversation.
5. Eyes Widening
Eyes widening may signal wonder and surprise too. It can
also be the reaction when you hear a joke at a time you
least expected it.
6. Eyes Rolling
Rolling eyes are a sign of disbelief. People who don‟t trust
what you are saying tend to use this expression. It could
also mean frustration.
7. Eyes Blinking
Frequent blinking of eyelids means either you are
participating in something that is too exciting or in
something that is outright boring.
8. Eyes Winking
Winking eyes suggest mischief and is normally used in
between friends to pull off a joke on a seemingly unaware
person.
9. Rubbing Eyes
People rubbing eyes are either tired, sleepy or are in
disbelief of what you are saying to them. It also signals
frustration and irritation.


4.1 Definition
4.2 Importance Of First Impression
4.3 Qualities that Form Etiquettes
4.4 Grooming Etiquettes
4.5 Dining Etiquettes
4.6 Rules of Writing
4.7 Email Etiquettes
4.8 Telephone Etiquettes
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
 To state the concept and the needs for business
etiquettes.
 To discuss the qualities and importance of
etiquettes.
 To discuss the importance of growing and dinner
etiquettes.
 To explain the rules of writing and etiquettes to be
followed while telephonic or email conversation.
4.1 DEFINITION
Business Etiquette is a set of social, professional and
cultural sensibilities that a person is expected to possess in
order to be considered a well-informed business-person with
proper business acumen. Business Etiquette focuses
primarily on being polite in your interactions with people
and paying them respect while dealing with them, the way
you would expect them to.
This politeness and respect is not limited to meetings
held in person only. In fact, these levels of mutual respect
and the polite way of addressing people and dealing with
them is extended to business emails, telephonic
conversations and business letters too.
Business Etiquette serves as an important tool to
bridge gaps and develop a fast network of business-people
who have a positive impression of your inter-personal skills
and cultural sensitivity.
However, it should be kept in mind that Business
Etiquette varies from place to place. A set of etiquettes that
may be held in high regard in one country might not
necessarily be observed closely in another country, and in
fact, could be viewed as strange or rude at times.
4.2 IMPORTANCE OF FIRST IMPRESSION

We create an impression about a person within few
seconds of meeting him. This sense of judging a person
without knowing anything about him is an in-built quality.
This ability to form an impression of a person, quickly,
so that we could categorize him in the “friend” category
helps us to prepare ourselves for self-defense. It activates
“fight-or-flight” defense mechanism, which we act
accordingly. In modern terms, this intuition has been given
the term “first impression”.
We always tend to respect our gut feeling and listen to
our inner voice more than any rational explanation and this
forms a foundational quality in all human beings. That‟s
the reason, experts suggest that when you meet someone
for the first time, we should strive to achieve the perfect

look and present the perfect image.
Knowing etiquettes will not only enable us to
understand the other person‟s sensibilities but will
also help us present an impression of a gentleman or a
woman. It will assist in putting your best foot forward
so that the focus of the ensuing discussion will be more
on the business topics rather than you looking out of
place.
4.3 QUALITIES THAT FORM ETIQUETTES

Business Etiquettes do not necessarily address
dressing sensibilities, interpersonal skills and good public
speaking abilities. Although these qualities are needed,
there are other qualities too that are equally important.
HERE IS A LIST OF SUCH IMPORTANT QUALITIES −

PUNCTUALITY
A person on time is a dependable person. This is a
general impression punctual people manage to effectively
leave on the minds of many people. Someone who
appreciates the value of his time will not appreciate waiting
for others and others waiting for him.
PREPAREDNESS
A person should always be well informed and prepared
to furnish information, in detail, on any topic related to his
job and responsibility at any given time. This creates an
impression of being a resourceful person.
COURTEOUS
You need to be courteous to all the people you are
interacting with, instead of limiting the courtesy to only
those who you think deserve it. When you are working in
an organization that has many talented and creative people
in it, there is always a chance that ideas will clash with one
another. In that case, you need to tackle the opposing

thought and not the person.
PROPER REPRESENTATION OF THOUGHTS

There are times when your thought would be very clear
on a particular topic but the choice of your words could send
a mixed signal to the listeners. Many people end up being
misquoted and misunderstood, due to lack of connection
with the people listening to you. You should prepare your
presentation thoroughly, beforehand and have a clear
understanding of each word and the different ways it can
be interpreted. Step in to clear any misconceptions people
might have on a point.
PARTICIPATION
Companies, expect a lot from you. These expectations
could be in the form of specific targets, which the company
sets for you. In such times, it is very easy to turn your back
to a discussion that does not concern you and say − “that‟s
not my problem”. However, that problem could well be your
problem in the near future. So, try to participate in the
problem-solving process.
PROPERLY DRESSED
The way you look when you meet someone for the first
time goes a long way in establishing a perception of you in
that person‟s mind. That does not mean that you should
splurge on the clothes you are supposed to wear. Your
clothes should not draw too much attention towards
themselves. Dress conservatively but professionally.
4.4 GROOMING ETIQUETTES

Business dress code is often a question of common
sense prevailing while deciding what to wear to the work
place. However, cases of dressing disasters continue to
occur, especially during the summers when you might find
a colleague dressed up to work with a "day at the beach"
hangover.
The reason these eyebrow-raising errors in dress codes

occur is that many companies, especially start-ups and
small to medium-scale businesses, have relaxed norms to
almost no norms on dress code. Even if there are dress code
rules, at times, they are vague and ambiguous. In such
situations, it is always advisable to err on the part of “too
formal” attire, as opposed to arriving dressed up informally
enough to raise a few eyebrows.
A few common errors people make in business dressing are −

 Ill-Fitting Clothes − Clothes too big give you a
bloated look and too tight fitting clothes accentuates
the body in a non-formal way. In a meeting, you
would not want the attention to shift from you and
your presentation towards your clothes.
 Wearing Short Skirts/Sleeves − Short skirts and
sleeves draw attention to your legs and hands when
you sit down. That diverts the attention of the
listeners and appears unprofessional.
 Wearing Short Socks − Short socks, or drooping
socks expose skin and that distracts attention while
crossing legs or sitting down. Always go for socks
that cover 3/4th the distance from the ankle to the

knee. Avoid wearing white socks as they
immediately draw notice towards themselves.
 Low-Cut or Plunging Tops − Just as with short
skirts, this distracts an interviewer and looks very
out of place in a professional environment that
requires a conservative dress code.
 Improper Color Choices − Colors, like green,
yellow, red, etc., do not go down well in corporate
circles. They not only draw attention towards
themselves but also look unprofessional.
 Clothes with Quotes, Pictures or Designs − This
lends a very informal and non-serious look to the
interviewee. There is always a risk of people
associating the slogans and mottos on the t-shirts to
be your personal points of view.
 Poorly-Maintained Shoes − Shoes are a very
important part of your business attire. Shoes, in a
way, announce your arrival even before you interact
with someone, so naturally, it draws a lot of
attention. It is for this reason that your shoes should
be always clean and polished.
 Not Dressing Formally For Business Social
Events − Even dinners at the boss‟ house are formal
business occasions. So, dress accordingly. The
general rule about informal business dressing is that
it should be treated as formal clothing.
 Improper Grooming − Unclipped nails, odorous
breath and unkempt hair are all red-checks. If you
are one of those who perspire profusely, use anti-
sweat deodorants. However, keep in mind that the
meetings will be mostly in air-conditioned rooms
with very less chance of fresh air entering the room.
So, wear a perfume or deodorant of a mild fragrance.
In addition to the tips discussed here, there are a few
areas that need to be taken care of before you finally enter
the premises and knock on that door. Let us discuss these −
FINAL TIPS FOR GROOMING

 Avoid noisy and squeaky shoes as they will disturb
and distract everyone.
 Trousers‟ side-pockets should not bulge with mobile
phones, wallets etc., as it gives a bulky look to your
legs.
 All noticeable body-piercing, tattoos should be
concealed, as tattoos are since long, associated with
rebellious behavior.
 Do not smoke or eat odorous food before interviews.
Use breath fresheners.
 Clean your nails and teeth properly.
4.5 DINING ETIQUETTES

When we are invited to our boss‟ birthday party at his
place, we can‟t be dressed up the way we would had it been
our best friend‟s birthday party. There needs to be a change
in not only our dressing but also the manner in which we
conduct ourselves.
In other words, we need to treat an invitee for any
social gathering that involves meeting your co-workers just
as you would treat a day at the office, the only difference
being that, here you have a liberty to discuss family life and
other topics that you generally won‟t get time to talk about
in your professional life.
Two situations that arise invoke the need to
understand the need for dining etiquette and learn it - one,
if you are the host of a get-together and the second one, if
you are the guest.
When you are the host

Choose a restaurant that is conducive to holding
sizeable meetings and provides good service. Make sure
that you have made all the adequate bookings and seating
arrangements. Clarify the billed amount and availability of
desired menu before the meeting itself.
 Arrive fifteen minutes early on the day of the

meeting and introduce people to one another if some
of them have not been introduced to each other
earlier. Offer the seat with the best view to your
most important guest.
 While ordering food, try to recommend, what is the
best of all the dishes there are on the menu if
someone is undecided on what to choose. If that is
too direct an approach, then you could help him out
in a different way by letting him know what you are
ordering, so that he takes the hint.
 Always be done with the ordering, before you start
to discuss business with someone. Or else there will
be many disturbances with the waiter asking you
repeatedly for your order. In addition, the guests
will be caught in two minds as to order or to listen to
your business discussion.
 If the meeting is to celebrate an achievement or to
dedicate it to someone, or is a congratulatory party
thrown in honor of someone, it is always nice to
speak something about it and make a small toast. It
is perfectly all right to toast while sitting. Just hold
your glass up and when others follow suit, you can
say something to the point and end it.
 Be attentive to the needs of everyone around the
table and keep an eye out on their preferences,
which will help you to decide upon the right place for
any future meetings. You might see that your chief
guest has a taste for seafood so you might set up
your next meeting at a place where the seafood is
good.
 Always try to engage everybody in a conversation
and be the facilitator in leading people to participate
in the discussion, bring their points of view and
experience into play too. This will help people to
come out of their initial inhibitions of meeting
someone for the first time and will encourage them
to be themselves.
When you are the guest

Always, promptly reply to an invitation. Your
answering will help the host in organizing and coordinating
the meeting so try to answer as early as possible.
 Always arrive before time and always inform before
time, if you are going to be more than five minutes
late. Always take the opportunity to ask your host to
recommend you on what you should order to break
the ice.
 Many times, you will come across a generous host
who will ask you to order what you please. Although
you have been given a free rein on your choice of
dishes, be considerate while ordering and do not
take up this opportunity to order something
extravagantly expensive. You are more likely to lose
ground with the host that way.
 Always order something in the mid-budget range
that would not draw attention towards itself and be
easy to eat. Do not order runny, messy food as that
might soil your clothes. Try to order food that can be
easily eaten with cutlery, as opposed to those dishes
where you have to use hands to eat.
 The reason is that there could be a chance that
someone arrives late at the table, seats himself
beside you, and offers you his hand to greet you. In a
situation like this, it would be unsightly to see your
hands smeared with food.
 Business dining follows almost the same template of
etiquette as business dressing in the sense that, you
are not supposed to draw attention towards yourself
due to your choice of food while dining, just like you
were not supposed to draw attention towards
yourself with your clothes in a meeting.
 Always remember that a business dinner or lunch is
basically, a professional, formal meeting in a
restaurant, instead of a room. Carry the same body
language that you would carry when you would sit
in for a business discussion with someone. Have a

smile on your face but be on your guard.
 As a rule of thumb, the host is the one who steers
the conversation from small talk to business
discussion, so wait until he hints before discussing
business. When invited to someone‟s home, it‟s
considered improper to turn up empty-handed. You
are not expected to gift something expensive- just a
jar, or even desserts would be great.
If there comes a scenario where you have arrived at the
table and you see many unknown faces, and the host is not
around to introduce you to others, take up the initiative
and introduce yourself to others, instead of sitting quietly
in a corner and pretending others do not exist.
4.6 RULES OF WRITING

Writing is similar to starting an assignment. You need
to be well-planned, prepared, focused, committed, and most
importantly, passionate towards what you are doing. If you
implement all the following points mentioned, the odds of
writing well-appreciated text will be in your favor.
First of all, let‟s accept the fact that very few people,
almost none can write a document the way they wanted to
put it on paper, in the very first attempt. Ideas and
memories often come when least expected, and these new
ideas keep on changing your document with each
subsequent input. Once you have put your ideas on paper,
the next step would be to present it in a simple, logical,
connected and clear manner. This needs planning and
preparation, for which there are definite steps you can
follow.
Appropriate language Use of bullet points
Plain English (free of jargon) Conciseness
Simple sentences Constant improvement
Relevant content Feedback
Researching on any topic is a very critical step before

writing. Your sources need to be reliable and widely
accepted. Before you identify and develop your topic, you
should find the context and background information on
your topic.
This can be done by referring to books, articles,
journals, news sources, and magazines. People nowadays
use video and sound recordings too. The following steps will
help you to −
 Note the important and relevant details.
 Evaluate each point against the topic and purpose of
your document.
 Record the details of resource and reference (i.e.
author, title and publishing).
 Arrange content in a logical order under appropriate
headings and sub-headings.
Knowing the audience pulse before you are writing the
document will give a lot of support in deciding on the
content and approach. In case you are not aware of the
audience, you can write keeping in mind the demographic,
i.e. the target group for your write-up, as online article
writers or bloggers does. Before you begin to write, try to
understand always what your reason of writing is. It could
be anyone of the following –
Providing information Sending reports

Applying persuasion Recommendations
Presenting your opinion A desired action
Proposing Ideas Reaching an accomplishment
For example, if your intention is to sell a product or get
someone to subscribe to a service you are providing, or are
promoting a cause; ask yourself questions like - who are my
potential readers? What is the background of my
prospective target readership? Where do they live and how
old are they? What are their interests and priorities? These
questions will set the purpose for your writing.
4.7 EMAIL ETIQUETTES

Email is widely used as a form of inexpensive yet
highly effective business communication tool. Printouts of
emails are rarely taken and soft copies are used because
archiving and retrieving emails is easily. The reason of its
popularity is the ease of access, which everyone in an
organization starting from the CEO to the janitor can use.
Emails are an efficient way to communicate
information in a well-presented, easy to read and
professionally appropriate manner. Many people quote lack
of time as a reason to forward sub-standard emails that
range from incomplete to incomprehensible.
Many people mistake emails with text messaging, or at
least their approach towards writing emails suggests so.
Let us discuss the difference between a text conversation
and writing email. In a text message conversation, two
people can exchange information, share details, provide
corrections and ask for clarifications in a rapid back-forth
manner of communication.
Compared to this, emails are read by professionals
who, depending on their work, may get anything between
20 to 200 emails a day. They neither want to engage in a
back-and-forth conversation, nor have the time to ask for
details, multiple times. They just want to understand the
content of the email, read out the instructions, process the
information, get the task done and empty the "unread"

section of the inbox.
Keeping this in mind, let us discuss some tricks to write

effective emails −
 Plan your message.
 Use the subject line to grab the reader‟s attention.
 Keep your message short and clear.
 Do not type your entire message in lower case.
 Proofread your message before sending it and
assume accountability.
 Take a few minutes to cool down before sending any
email while angry.
 Do not type your message in capitals. Capitals are
considered to be SHOUTING.
In certain cases, emails may not be suitable. Prefer to call

someone when −
 You have to discuss personal, sensitive or
confidential information.
 You are going to give bad news.
 Your message is complex and meaning might be lost
in the wordings.
 You need an immediate response.
Legal risks of emails

Emails are the preferred mode of communication in
many workplaces, and this means they carry a lot of
information that could be confidential. Many companies
train people extensively on how they are supposed to frame
their emails and what kind of emails, to whom they are
supposed to forward.
The security and confidentiality of the information in
the emails is the joint responsibility of both the sender and
the recipients. Companies have strict guidelines to
safeguard their documents and their contents. Let us
discuss some of the most commonly followed guidelines to

prevent email misuse.
You and your company will be held liable for numerous legal
suits if −
 You send or forward emails with offensive content.
 You send an attachment that has a virus.
 You forward the sender‟s email to another person
without permission.
 You try to forge others‟ emails or send emails from
others‟ accounts.
 You try to conceal your identity from the receivers
when sending email.
 You copy a message belonging to another person
without permission.
Elements of a formal email

While most of us send informal emails to friends that
might contain grammatical mistakes in them, the same is
not true when writing to colleagues, especially when we
want to make a good impression, as we have to be more
careful and diplomatic this time. Here are some general
tips on the right format of an email −
Background − The default white background should
be used for all emails. Colored backgrounds, or scroll
designs seem to be unprofessional and distracting.
Font − Preferred fonts are Times New Roman or Arial,
Font size-12.
Font Color − Font should be navy blue or black only.
Contact Details − Official contact information like
name, designation, email id, contact number, company logo
and address of correspondence should be mentioned in the
signature area. Personal statements are best avoided.
First Name and Surname − They should be
mentioned in the same font as used in the body of the
email, only two font sizes larger. Cursive fonts for name are
not recommended.
(To be mentioned in the same font and size as body of the

email)
 Designation
 Department
 Company Name & Address
 Landmark & ZIP Code
 Contact Number
 Email address
 Company telephone number
 Company fax number
 Company URL
 Disclaimer
4.8 TELEPHONE ETIQUETTES

Telephonic conversations are fast replacing traditional
“on-venue” meetings, due to the logistics and time saved. It
is much easier for people to have a conversation over the
phone nowadays, as compared to travelling to a distant
place to do the same.
Although the obvious advantages of a telephonic
conversation are many − one being that the person does not
have to be physically present during the time of the
interview, this could also be one of its distinct
disadvantages.
In a face-to-face conversation, 70% of the person‟s
responses are non-verbal and are related to body language.
In a telephonic conversation, you have to make up for that
70% with your voice projection, tone and modulation.
Some Important Points on Telephonic Etiquette −

 Speak loud enough to be heard clearly. Keep your
mouth close to the mouthpiece. It is advisable to use
hands-free equipment, if possible, so that your
hands are free to jot down points. Many people
express their points by the use of their hands to
emphasize on specific areas of discussion. Using
hands-free equipment will also enhance your

expressive skills.
 Let the other person do most of the talking, as he
will be explaining what he wants to inform you
about, for you to understand. Also speaking out of
turn could irritate the listener.
 Smile and speak in a conversational manner.
Smiling while talking changes the shape of your
mouth when you pronounce the words and the
listener easily picks up this change in tone.
 Place a notepad, pen, and a copy of the document
that is being discussed near you for reference and
jotting down important information.
 Try to go to a place that has as less background
noise and interference as possible while attending a
telephonic interview.
 If you are stuck in a traffic or a noisy place when
someone from office calls and asks if it‟s the right
time to talk to you, excuse yourself politely and offer
to call back in 5-10 minutes. This will give you time
to go to a silent place to prepare your mood and
mind for the conversation.
 Turn off Call-waiting and such applications that
give beeping notifications during calls, so that the
other person‟s attention is not diverted due to the
distracting sound.

 

5.1 What Employers Want
5.2 Types of Interviews
5.2.1 Structured Interview
5.2.2 Unstructured Interview
5.2.3 One on One Interview
5.2.4 Panel Interview
5.2.5 Group Interview
5.2.6 Stress Interview
5.2.7 Informational Interview
5.2.8 Competency Interview
5.2.9 Assessment Interview
5.2.10 Telephonic Interview
5.3 Types of Interview Questions
5.3.1 Behavioral Questions
5.3.2 Traditional Questions
5.3.3 Case Questions
5.3.4 Role-Play Questions
5.3.5 Industry-Specific Questions
5.3.6 Brainteasers
5.4 Stages of Interviews
5.4.1 Pre Interview
5.4.2 Interview
5.4.3 Post Interview
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 To discuss the needs of an employers.
 To explain various types of interview and how to
deal with them.
 To explain various types of interview questions.
 To discuss about various stages of interview.
5.1 WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT

An interview, in a very broad sense, is a conversation
between two or more people where the interviewer
attempts to elicit information from the interviewee.
Employers use interviewing as a method of conducting
research and understanding the experiences of the
candidates, so that they can be recruited according to
suitable profiles and job responsibilities.
Can you work efficiently in a team? Can you take split-
second decisions? Do you have problem-solving abilities?
These are some of the most important skill-sets a company
looks for in graduates who apply for jobs with them. The
most important of them all − ability to communicate with
people inside and outside the organization.
CRACKING AN INTERVIEW
Let‟s discuss how to crack an interview by projecting
yourself as the right candidate for the profile you have
applied for −
 Market yourself with sincerity and confidence, so
that the interviewer knows your strengths and areas
of expertise as clearly as possible.
 HRs expects candidates to give honest
answers under every circumstance, as that proves
their integrity and truthfulness.
 Listen and think for some time before giving an
answer. It gives the impression of a person who
takes time to analyze the information.
 Be prepared to answer some intensive behavioral
questions. These questions will test a candidate‟s
ability of handling responsibility and resources.
 Be informative but try to convert the interview to
a conversation. The interviewer should feel like a
part of the interaction, so explain your answers to
him as often as you can.
 Give specific and exact answers, rather than
giving generic answers. Companies prefer
candidates who can give precise details, rather than

vague estimates.
 Personality is important. Try and build a good
rapport with the interviewer. Your interpersonal
skills play a major role while working with a
company, as you will need to communicate a lot with
co-workers.
 If you are asked to solve a problem, talk through
your process. This will help the interviewer to
understand your logical approach towards problem-
solving.
 Focus on what value you can add to the
company beyond the job responsibilities. Candidates
who manage to convince the interviewer of their
contribution to the company beyond the ones
mentioned in the job profile are often preferred.
 Graduation degrees and good scores undoubtedly
matter, but in addition to that, what employers
really look for in a candidate is his decision-
making skills, communication, team-player
attitude, and the ability to plan and prioritize
work.
5.2 TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

A lot of candidates face difficulty in an interview purely
because they don‟t understand which type of interview they
are appearing in. Depending on the interview you are a
part of, your answers, concentration levels, preparation,
interpersonal skills, and responses need to vary.
Here are the types of interviews that we are going to
cover in this tutorial −
 Structured
 Unstructured
 One –On -One
 Panel Interview
 Group
 Stress Interview
 Informational
 Competency Based
 Assessment Center
 Telephonic Interview
5.2.1 Structured interview

In a structured interview, the interviewer asks a set of
close-ended questions that have been standardized by the
industry and will not deviate or ask clarification on the
interviewee‟s answers. These interviews are conducted
when the number of candidates is high and the objective is
to screen candidates as per the company‟s requirements.
Pros
 The interviews are easy to conduct, as a fixed set of
closed questions are asked.
 Structured interviews are concluded in a short
duration due to their fixed format.
Cons
 New questions are not asked in adherence to the
fixed schedule.
 Interviewees answer only closed questions which
don‟t explain their motive.
5.2.2 Unstructured interview

In an unstructured interview, you may have to answer
open-ended questions that can be asked in any order
without any fixed schedule. They are more conversational.
Almost all interviews, except structured interviews, are of
this nature.
Pros
 Unstructured interviews are flexible; as questions
don‟t follow an order, rather depend on answers.
 The open-ended questions make candidates talk and
explain his understanding of a situation.
Cons
 Unstructured interviews are time-consuming, as one
would require sufficient time to analyze the
information before arriving at a conclusion.
 The interviewer must have certain skills like the
ability to establish a good rapport and knowing
when to probe.
5.2.3 One on one interview

In an one-to-one interview, the candidate is
interviewed in multiple stages, with each interviewer
asking questions on a specific area mentioned in the CV.
Generally, these stages are categorized as general,
technical, and operational.
Pros
 The easiest and the most common type of interview.
 In an one-on-one interview, it is quite easy to build a
rapport with the interviewer.
 Specialists take turns to interview a candidate in
stages in specific and focused areas.
Cons
 The candidate needs to exhibit the same level of
enthusiasm through all the stages.
 The multi-stage structure tests the candidate‟s
ability to switch between different areas of
expertise.
5.2.4 Panel interview

Widely adopted in organizations, panel interviews give
the candidate a chance to interact with representatives
from the top management heading different departments,
and all at the same time. The interviewee needs to
remember that he needs to address everyone in the panel
and maintain eye-contact with everyone while answering
anyone of the panel‟s question, as they all are a team.
Pros
 Widely adopted by large organizations.
 The interviewee faces a team of interviewers,
instead of one.
Cons
 More challenging, as interviewers ask many
questions on their area of expertise.
 The interviewee needs to answer multiple questions
at the same time.
 Inter-personal skills with multiple people need to be
exhibited at the same time.
5.2.5 Group interview

Group interviews are conducted in the process of
recruiting team-leaders or employees with either team-
leading, work-distributing, and prioritizing qualities. A
group of candidates is given a hypothetical question like –
“How would you pitch a real estate sale to me as a team?”
The group needs to distribute responsibilities and give
presentations.
Pros
 The group is asked to answer individually or as a
group, to check team-spirit.
 A group of applicants is given the same question(s)
at the same time, so creativity can be easily
showcased.
Cons
 It is time-consuming, as individual applicants
participate in the presentation.
 It might lead to a confusing situation, as two or
more people could opt for the same responsibility in
the group presentation, like introducing/concluding.
5.2.6 Stress interview

In what is considered to be one of the toughest
interviews of all, stress interviews test a candidate‟s ability
to stay focused under pressure and uncomfortable

circumstances, more than anything else.
The interviewer could use various intimidating
techniques such as asking irrelevant questions, staring
silently, not paying attention, and speaking sternly. The
candidate is expected to stay calm and professional under
all circumstances.
Pros
 The interviewer tries to evaluate the applicant‟s
response and manner under stress.
 It is a chance to showcase your talent directly in a
role-play kind of situation.
Cons
 The interviewer may act uninterested, talk
arrogantly, and behave aggressively.
 The interviewer may ask difficult questions like –
“Why were you fired?”
5.2.7 Informational interview

Unlike the rest of the interviews, informational
interviews are conducted not to select candidates or offer
jobs. It is scheduled from the candidate‟s end by requesting
for an interview with the HR of a company, so that he can
understand details like the working environment, current
processes, job responsibilities, etc.
Pros
 The candidates get a clear idea on what the
company wants of its employees.
 An information interview reduces the problem of
wasting time with unqualified candidates or
unsuitable workplace.
Cons
 Informational interviews are not about hiring and
not about a specific job.
 Difficult to schedule, as it depends on the
interviewer‟s availability.
 A potential candidate might ask questions about the

company or the industry, however, the interviewer is
at his discretion to either answer or pass a question.
5.2.8 Competency interview

Competency-based interviews check a candidate‟s skills
of performing in a specific hypothetical situation. One
needs to have a detailed knowledge of his or her area of
expertise to answer the questions that the interviewers will
ask.
Pros
 Organizations check communication, problem
solving, and team work.
 Asking examples or creating hypothetical situations
to check for these qualities.
Cons
 Multiple education-related or experience-specific
questions are asked.
 Competency-based interviews can be quite
challenging, as the candidate is required to provide
detailed and specific answers to the interviewer‟s
persistent questions.
5.2.9 Assessment interview

Assessment Centers are all interviews rolled into one,
and as a result, they are carried over two days. The
candidate needs to be at the top of his game, and have in-
depth knowledge on all spheres of his work.
Pros
 Multi-staged and layered manner of assessing
applicants.
 Applicants get to interact with the top management
and create a positive impression.
Cons
 The interviewer needs to be prepared to conduct all
types of interviews.
 Generally involves two to three days of intensive

skill-testing and interviews, so the candidate needs
to be patient too.
5.2.10 Telephonic interview

Telephonic interviews are fast replacing traditional
“on-venue” interviews due to the logistics and the time they
can save. It is much easier for candidates to have a
conversation over the phone nowadays, as compared to
travelling to a distant place to do the same.
Although the obvious advantages of a telephonic
interview are many – one being that the person doesn‟t
have to be physically present during the time of the
interview – this could also be one of its distinct
disadvantages.
Around 70% of a candidate‟s responses are non-verbal
and related to his Body Language! In a telephonic
interview, you have to make up for that 70% with your
voice projection, tone, and modulation.
Tips to clear a telephonic interview

Given below is a set of tips that you can apply to do
well in a telephonic interview −
 Speak loud enough to be heard clearly.
 Let the interviewer do most of the talking, as he will
be explaining the instructions initially for you to
understand. Also, speaking out of turn could irritate
the listener.
 Smile and speak in a conversational manner.
Smiling while talking changes the shape of your
mouth when you pronounce the words, and this
change in tone is easily picked up by the listener.
 Place a notepad, pen, and a copy of your resume
near you for reference and jot down important
information.
 While attending a telephonic interview, try to be in
a place with minimum background noise and
interference. If you are stuck in a traffic or a noisy
place and an employer calls and asks if it‟s the right

time to talk to you, excuse yourself politely and offer
to call back in 5-10 minutes. This will give you time
to go to a silent place to prepare your mood and
mind for the interview.
 Even if it is telephonic, it is advisable to dress the
part for the interview. This will help you in
maintaining a professional mindset throughout the
interview.
 Turn off call-waiting and applications that give
beeping notification during calls.
Tele-Conferencing
The standard rules of one-one-one interview apply if
you are attending interviews via tele-conferencing (or
video-conferencing). We have furnished here a set of do‟s
and don‟ts that you should keep in mind while attending an
interview via tele-conferencing −
 Dress up for the part and look professional.
 Try to be in a well-lit area with a suitable
background. The ideal background is a white wall or
screen.
 Check the internet connection, camera visibility, and
microphone audibility well before the interview
time.
 Keep a notepad, pen, and copy of the CV near you.
 Inform the people around you to not disturb you for
the duration of the interview.
 Keep your phones in silent mode and out of sight to
avoid getting distracted?
Always keep in mind that interviews are not
examinations where there are correct or incorrect answers
to questions. Unless you are appearing for a competency-
based round, you don‟t need to worry about the right
answer; until you know what you are saying won‟t be taken
in a negative sense.
To crack an interview, you need to have the ability to

hold meaningful and enjoyable conversations, building
rapport, and understanding the underlying reasons behind
asking specific questions. With constant practice, and a
little bit of luck, we don‟t see why you won‟t get your dream
job in a short time!
5.3 TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Interview questions vary depending on the kind of
interviews you are appearing in. While there are different
sets of questions asked to people getting recruited for
different jobs and job responsibilities, some questions are
considered to be standard.
We will explain the following types of questions in this
tutorial −
 Behavioral Questions
 Traditional Questions
 Case Questions
 Role-play Questions
 Industry-specific Questions
 Brainteasers
5.3.1 Behavioral questions

Behavioral or Situational questions are used to
analyze how you behaved in various scenarios in the past to
predict your behavior in similar scenarios in the future.
Behavioral questions are of a probing nature and are
generally asked in interviews where the job needs skills
and experience in the following areas −
 Analysis
 Leadership
 Motivation
 Teamwork
 Innovation
 Goal-setting
 Communication
 Decision-making
 Taking initiatives
 Planning
 Technology
 Persuasion
 Adaptability
 Organizing
 Coordinating
Sample Behavioral Questions

Here is a list of a few sample behavioral questions that
you might have to answer in an interview −
 Describe a situation where you had to handle
pressure or tight deadlines.
 Describe a situation where you had to think on your
feet faced with a difficult situation.
 Describe a situation where you persuaded a person
to do something he wasn‟t willing to.
 Describe a situation where you adapted to a variety
of situations and environments.
 Describe a situation where you had to convince
someone to see things your way.
 Describe a time in job when you faced problems that
tested your coping skills.
 Describe a time where you went above and beyond
the call of duty to get a job done.
5.3.2 Traditional questions

Compared to Behavioral Questions that deal with your
situation-handling in a past scenario, Traditional
or General Interview Questions tend to be more
hypothetical. They can be asked in any interview and they
don‟t specifically cater to any particular job responsibility.
Simple Traditional Questions
Here is a list of a few sample traditional questions that
you might be asked in an interview −
 Tell me something about yourself.

 What are your strengths and weaknesses?
 Give examples of when you worked in a team.
 Explain the reason for leaving your current job.
 What interests you about this job and organization?
 What would you like me to know about you beyond
your CV?
 Give an example where you displayed leadership
qualities in a team.
5.3.3 Case questions

Interviewers asking Case Study based questions want
to test the analytical skills and problem-solving abilities of
the applicant. The answers are detailed, specific and
require a detailed knowledge of the industry and domain of
expertise.
Simple Case Questions

Describe a successful company and explain the
following −
a. The reason of its success
b. Its potential business issues
c. Your prediction for its future
d. Your suggestions to improve their operations
5.3.4 Role-play questions

In Role-play interviews, the interviewer gives you a
scenario and asks you to imagine yourself as someone else
and solve a problem. These questions test your creativity
and allow the interviewer to have a clear idea on how you
would fill in someone else‟s shoes.
Sample Role-Play Questions

There is no limit to what an interviewer might ask you
to imagine yourself as. It can be anything. Here is a set of
role-play questions that one might ask you in an interview
 You are Tin Tin. Now tell us how you would deal
with a sea-storm, when sailing on a small boat.
 You are a cop. How would you stop a bank robbery,
when the robbers are armed and you are not?
5.3.5 Industry-specific questions

Industry-specific questions need the interviewee to be
acquainted with the latest trends or issues in the industry.
Questions could be related to domain-specific details and
may involve explaining the details.
Sample Industry-Specific Questions
Here is a list of a few sample industry-specific
questions −
 If you were Jimmy Wales, how would you generate
profit from Wikipedia?
 If you were Mark Zuckerberg, how would you
generate revenue from WhatsApp?
5.3.6 BRAINTEASERS
Brainteasers are quick questions where the obvious
answer is not necessarily the right answer, and such
questions are normally asked to check an applicant‟s
presence of mind and sometimes, his sense of humor.
Sample Brainteasers Questions
Here is a list of a few brainteaser questions that you
might be asked in an interview −
 Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the
highest mountain?
 Bonny‟s father had four children. The first child‟s
name was April. The second child‟s name was May.
The third child was named June. What was the
fourth child‟s name?
5.4 STAGES OF INTERVIEWS

Interviews can be considered similar to meeting with a
friend‟s friend for the first time. You tend to be friendly, yet
formal in your manner and behavior. The approach should

be exactly the same in case of an interview; however the
preparation needs to be more extensive. Preparing for an
interview could be divided into three stages −
Stage I: Pre-interview − Preparation you do a day or
two before an interview.
Stage II: Interview − What to do during an interview,
till the time you step out.
Stage III: Post-interview − What to do after an
interview.
5.4.1 Pre interview

Making a thorough preparation before the day of the
interview not only saves time but also helps the candidates
in calming the “big day” jitters. Here, we discuss all the
preparation that you have to do a day or two before the
interview.
Before the day of the interview, you should complete
your preparation on these following areas −
 Documents − Resumes, certificates on education,
experience and achievements.
 Professional Attire − Clothes and accessories you
should wear to the interview.
 Answers to possible questions − Practicing
answers to the standard questions.
 Route to the venue of interview − The directions
to the place of the interview.
Preparation required
There are certain things that are considered as
standard for the interview preparation process, ignoring
which could cause a serious “faux pas” or social
embarrassment.
 Remember the interviewer‟s name. It will help to
build a rapport with the interviewers quicker if the
HRs know that you have remembered their names.
 Blue/Black ball-point Pen and plain paper. Carry a

plain paper-sheet with you, in case you need to do
any calculations. Gel pens and fountain-pens have
inks that can not spill or soil on contact with water.
 Carry two copies of your CV, one to be presented to
the HR and the second one for other referential
purposes.
 The questions you will ask the HR at the end of the
interview. This preparation is essential, as your
questions should sound natural and not something
you have memorized.
 Documents supporting experience and education as
per company specifications for verification purposes.
Professional attire
There‟s a saying that “God made man, but the tailor
made gentleman.” Nothing could be truer than this in an
interview scenario. Interviews are opportunities for first-
time interactions with people, hence candidates are
expected to put their best step forward.
Let‟s discuss a few guidelines for checking the dress
code −
 Wear the clothes that you have planned to wear on
the day of the interview to see if they look good and
professional on you.
 Check for fit of the clothes − the clothes shouldn‟t fit
too loose, or too tight, as they will not give a formal
look.
 Check for stains, rips, runs, missing button, creases,
fade-ups, etc. Mend them before time so that you
don‟t have to face embarrassment.
 Coordinate accessories (tie, belt, socks, shoes,
jewelry, etc.) There is a colour-code that we need to
follow in formal meetings, e.g., the belt, watch, and
shoes should be of one colour.
 Dress one step above. If you are applying for the
post of a programmer, dress up like a team
manager. The message it sends is that you are ready

to take on higher responsibilities, other than the
ones mentioned in the job description.
Prepare your route
A lot of candidates tend to arrive late on the day of the
interview, simply because they were either completely new
or vaguely familiar to the address the venue was at.
The following steps will help candidates save time in
the interview −
 Confirm the address and visit it once (dry run). This
will help you save time in finding the exact location
on the day of the interview.
 Check parking spaces and facilities. This will also
save you time and energy, as you would know the
exact area to park your vehicle when you come for
the interview.
Prepare your answers
Don‟t be guilty of giving rambling, directionless
answers that are not relevant to the job or skill-set needed
for the job. Here is a list of a few pointers that you can
utilize to prepare your answers −
 Avoid casual talk and stick to facts. Recruiters like
people who can speak accurately and to the point.
 Use jargons (industry talk) and acronyms. This
shows that you are familiar with the industry.
 Answer the questions in a way that showcases your
skills. Try to add your talents and recent
achievements into your answers in the form of
examples to prove your point and eligibility.
 Use numbers, time-frames and percentages while
describing your achievements. This gives the
impression of a particular and accurate observer.
Visit the company's website

Experts say that almost 70% of the questions
interviewers ask are related to the information mentioned
on their company‟s website regarding details on the
company‟s history and achievements. That means, a good

way to prepare for any interview is to visit that company‟s
website and note the following details −
 Name of the CEO
 Organization structure and culture
 Main competitors
 Current business in which they operate
 Products and services
 The locations and annual reports
 Positions available in different areas
 The skill-sets needed for the designation
Tips for your arrival

Contrary to common perception, especially in the
minds of relatively inexperienced job-seekers, an interview
doesn‟t start from the time you enter the interviewers‟
cabin; it starts from the time you step inside their premises.
Be careful of the way you interact with anyone inside and
be courteous, respectful, and polite to all.
 Arrive 15 minutes before the appointment time. This
will give you time to set your mood and look
presentable before you enter the interview chamber.
 Inform the interviewer if you‟ll be late and explain
the circumstances so that he understands your
urgent situation and considers your case.
 Pleasantly greet the receptionist and identify
yourself. Treat everyone you meet inside the office
with as much politeness as you would with the
interviewer.
 While waiting, practice your introduction and other
answers. This will help in building confidence and
fluency.
 Avoid fidgeting, chewing gum, talking on cell phone,
or texting. This gives an impression of nervousness,
carelessness, and unprofessional conduct.
5.4.2 Interview
Here, we will discuss what you have to do during an
interview, till the time you step out of the room.
Five stages of an interview

While discussing an interview, it‟s important to
understand the different stages through which an interview
courses through. Broadly speaking, there are five stages in
an interview −
 Introduction and rapport building − This is
where the candidate introduces himself and builds a
friendly image in the HR‟s eyes.
 Discussing interviewee’s experience and
skills − The candidate runs the HR through his
education, experience, and areas of expertise.
 Interviewee Profiling − The HR asks questions to
understand the department or the process the
candidate will be a perfect fit for.
 Questions to the Interviewer − The candidate
uses this opportunity to put any queries in front of
the HR related to the company and the working
environment.
 Concluding − Includes final formalities like
shaking hands and wishing.
Understanding the interviewer

An interviewer, in order to do an effective
hiring, needs the answers to THREE basic questions −
 Can you be someone whom the company can rely
upon?
 Who are you? Would others be comfortable working
with you?
 Are you sufficiently experienced, educated and
interested to work satisfactorily?
You must realize that there are no right or wrong
answers; the interviewer‟s intention is to accurately profile
you according to your skill-sets.
Important tips to use

Here is a set of important tips that you should apply
while appearing for an interview −
 Give a good first Impression − An interviewer
draws a mental image of you in the first four
minutes of the interview. Your appearance and
nonverbal cues play a huge role in creating that
image. Smile while greeting the interviewer, offer a
firm handshake (be mindful of perspiring
palms) and establish eye-contact.
 Body Language − Look the interviewer right in the
eye while greeting him the first time. By doing so,
you project a confident and assertive image in the
mind of the HR, but try not to stare. When offered a
seat, sit straight instead of slouching. Speak in a
clear voice; avoid mumbling.
 Listen before Answering − If you aren‟t sure that
you have understood the question, request the
interviewer to repeat it.
 Smile − Smiling at the right time gives you a
confident and exuberant image.
 Give Exact Answers − Your answers need to be
precise and exact.
 Ex-employers − Never bad-mouth ex-employers.
 Be Honest − Never lie. They might ask you to talk
in detail about what you say.
 Know your Resume − Be ready to discuss
anything mentioned in the resume. The interviewers
can ask a question on any topic mentioned there.
 Look for shared Attributes − If the interviewer
and you happen to have common interests, it gives
you an edge. If you come to know that he and you
are alumni from the same school, mention it in
passing. Above all, be truthful.
 Keep things at a professional level − Even if a
great rapport has been built, it‟s always advisable to
maintain a professional attitude. Getting too
comfortable might lead you to say something that

compromises the interview.
5.4.3 Post interview

Experts say that only 30% of what you speak inside the
interview room matters to the interviewers and 70%
comprises of Body Language. The way you walk, talk, sit,
shift in your chair, touch your face, lower your eyes on
specific questions, or look away – all bear tremendous
weight when it comes to leaving a positive impression on
the mind of the interviewer(s).
Here is a set of common guidelines that you should

follow while in the interview room or waiting for your turn−
 Don’t cross your arms and legs. This signifies
nervousness and restlessness.
 Don’t rub your nose or bite lips. The
interviewers tend to interpret this as lying.
 Don‟t slouch or sit on the edge of the chair. This
gives a careless impression.
 Nod when you agree but don‟t bob your head as
that signifies inexperience.
 Don’t stare when looking directly at the
interviewer. That will look intimidating.
 Don‟t sit too close to the interviewer. Allow personal
space.
 Don’t look away or turn your face down while

answering.
 Don’t use excessive hand movements. Articulate
and be expressive but moderately and at desk-level.
 Don’t make any sudden movements. Make
relaxed adjustments in your posture.

6.1 Goal Setting

6.2 Resume Writing
6.3 Where to search?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 To discuss the right way to develop job search skills.
 To learn the art of resume writing.
 To discuss various platforms for job search.
In today‟s competitive world, job search is a challenging

task. During such a phase, various intimidating questions
keep on rebounding in your brain such as where to find a
suitable job, how to get a lead, how to develop an
impressive resume and cover letter, whom to contact, what
and how to prepare for the interview, etc. To get the right
answers, it requires a deep research and an intelligent
strategy.
This chapter answers these questions and suggests the
right way to develop job search skills. All you need to do is
follow the following steps −
6.1 GOAL SETTING
What is a goal?
A goal is your ultimate wish, desire, dream, and source
of happiness that you want to attain. Goal can be decided
only after thorough self-introspection. Remember, don‟t
keep any confusion at this point, and don‟t make any error
because all your activities will be solely goal oriented. Any
mistake can cause a big problem for you.
What is an ideal goal?
Before you set a goal, you need to pay attention to the
following points. It will help you to choose a right and
achievable goal −
 Specific − Your goal has to be specific. No confusion
should remain in your mind. Once you set this,
make a resolution to achieve it at any cost. For
example, if your goal is to work for the Apple
Company or be a CIA agent, stick with it.
 Measurable and Achievable − Your goal should
not be abstract; it must be decided only after an
analysis of your wish, skill sets, your education, and
immediate circumstances. So that you can visualize
your goal and can make the right strategy to achieve
that. For example, you are a very good management
student, but also like basketball; you have very good
knowledge of basketball game, but you never played.
In such a situation, do not get confused, basketball

is your likeness, but your expertise lies in
management area.
 Relevant − Some goals are of such kind that it is

fascinating for certain period of time, but later on
loses its relevancy. For example, generally an
athlete girl cannot pursue her goal for a long time;
future circumstances post marriage might create
many problems in her personal as well as
professional life.
 Time Framework − You have to fix a time period
to attain your goal.
6.2 RESUME WRITING

No matter how smart you are until it properly reflects
on your resume your skills will go unnoticed, because
employers first see your resume not you. Therefore, being
selected for an interview totally depends on your resume.
What is resume writing?

Resume Writing is writing about your personal and
professional achievements in chronological order on a piece
of paper. Since, this the first and the most important aspect
of job search, your professionalism and skills have to be
reflected on your resume. The language that you use on

your resume should be simple, brief, and clear.
Elements of a resume
Every resume has the following essential elements
(without which it is incomplete) −
 Personal Data − It includes your name, address,
and contact details (email ID and phone number).
 Career Objective − Mention your career objective
in such a way that explains how you will meet the
demand of the job that you are applying for.
 Employment History − No matter how versatile
your work experience is - Write only the relevant
work experience, which is in the interest of the
company where you are applying. For example, if
you are applying for the computer programming job,
you write only the computer related work
experience. Though, you have also worked as a
salesperson, do not mention this because your sales
experience is not at all relevant for the computer
programming job. It might create a negative
impression.
 Education − Mention all your educational
qualifications including name of the
programs/diploma, subjects, grade, passing year,
schools/institutions name.
 Optional Information − It includes your other
skill sets such as technical skills, and projects (that
you have handled) relevant to the job and some
other achievements including award and
recognitions. For example, you are a state/national
level sportsman, etc.
 Personal Information − It includes personal
details, such as sex, religion, marital status, etc.
which is not mandatory to mention. Hence, it can be
skipped.
 Hobbies − Not imperative, but worth mentioning on

your resume. Many companies across the world
consider it positively.
 References − Put at least two persons‟ name,

designation, address, contact details, and your
relationship with them. Mention only those people
who know you very well and can speak positively
about you; preferably, your professor or your boss
from a previous company or one from each category.
 Chronological Order − Your work experience and
education should be arranged in chronology. You
need to start with the current job and the last study
program and then previous that and so on.
How to deal with awkward points on resume?

Awkward points on your resume refer to employment
gaps or short stints during your career span. You have to be
very careful while mentioning these in your resume.
It is suggested to acknowledge gaps in employment in

such a manner so as to not create a negative impression.
This can be done by being honest and mentioning the
reason for gap. If you did some volunteer work or took up a
course to enhance your skills during the gap, it is always
worth mentioning in your resume. However, it is advised to
always do away with short stints in jobs. Mentioning these
suggests instability.
Organizing Your Resume

Once you complete your resume, do not forget to −
 Review it.
 Check it twice (to see if all the points included are in
order).
 Organize it (to check in terms of order, font, color,
spacing, etc.).
6.3 WHERE TO SEARCH

Once, you are ready with your job search kit, which
includes your resume, cover letter, and portfolio (if
required), then the next strategy is to search for the
vacancy of your interest.
Where to search?
There are various sources where you can get the job
vacancies; important of them are −
Newspaper Classified & Supplements

Every newspaper has a classified section for jobs. Some
newspapers have supplements in which vacancies for jobs
are advertised. Such supplements are usually published
once a week. Find the day and follow up.
Employment News
Employment news is a weekly/fortnightly/monthly job
newspaper. It gives details of all sorts of job vacancies
including public/government and private sector jobs.
Internet
There are dozens of job portal websites on the Internet
these days; all you need to do is create your profile on some
of the popular job portal websites, browse through the jobs,
apply and keep your eyes on the email inbox.
Social Networking Sites

You can build compelling profiles on various social
media websites to look for a job of your choice. Earlier, only
LinkedIn was thought to be the obvious place to connect for
jobs; however, recently this kind of platform is also
provided by Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Friend‟s Reference
Let friends know that you are hunting for a job. Ask
them to let you know if there is any compatible opening in
their company.
Make a List of Relevant Companies

Prepare a list of all relevant companies where you
think you can fit. Browse through their career section on
the website and see if there is any vacancy of your interest.
Consultancy
Contact consultancy agencies and other job support
groups with your updated resume.
 
7.1 Effective Leadership Skills

7.2 Effective Presentation Skills
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
 To explain what is leadership and skills to become a
powerful leader.
 To discuss the presentation skills and how to choose,
make and deliver your presentation.
7.1 EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Introduction
Only the leaders with great leadership qualities have
introduced good to the world. These leaders have developed
powerful leadership skills over the time and eventually
become visionaries. They inspire their subordinates and
drive them towards achieving their dreams in life.
Therefore, developing powerful leadership skills help you to
become an effective leader and make a difference in other's
lives.
Good leaders are good in getting the desired outcome at
the end. They are good at inspiring people and getting their
contribution with their full support.
The good leaders constantly raise the standards and
expectations from the employees, so the employees
continuously enhance themselves. Employees and others
follow such great leaders willingly.
Seven most powerful leadership skills

Let's have a brief look at the most powerful leadership
skills that matter the most in corporate world.
1. Lead by Example
This is the number one skill you should develop. When
there is a huge team working under you, setting the
examples is the best way to manage them.
If you do not adhere to your own rules, you may not be
able to get those working for you to adhere to the rules.
When it comes to leading by examples, it includes fairness,
honesty, showing respect and professionalism.
2. No Politics and No Good Old Boys

The workplace should never be run by politics and the
good old boys. This could be the main reason for
demotivating the talented and enthusiastic employees.
In case, if you reward the people you prefer, this will

demotivate the talent in the organization and they would
leave at the end of the day. The remaining employees will
be utterly frustrated and company culture and productivity
will never be the same.
3. Reward the Talent

Rewarding is a great way to enhance the employee
satisfaction. A good leader identifies the talent in the
employee and rewards appropriately. A good leader will use
facts for assessing the employees for their performance
rather than using perceptions for the same.
4. Be Accountable and Hold Other Accountable

Depending on the consequences of an event, there can
be either negative or positive results. In a corporate
environment, most of the time, people are reluctant to take
the responsibility and be accountable when things go
wrong.
If you are accountable for something, so be it. Show the
employees that you are being responsible and send the
message that you expect the same from them.
As a good leader, you should not tolerate poor
performance and poor behaviour of your employees. Your
tolerance may kill employee motivation. No employee will
go an extra mile if they are to cover someone's work by
doing that.
5. Performance Standards
Setting expectations and defining reasonable
performance standards for the employees is one of the key
leadership skills. The performance assessment and
evaluation criteria for the employees should be transparent
and it should allow the employees to find their way to
success.
Standards are not only applicable for employee

performance. You can set standards for many other aspects
of the corporate environment. As an example, it could be
how to behave in the office or how to write a quality
document. Setting and practicing such high standards will
enhance the careers of the employees as well as the
organization in the long run.
6. Share Your Vision

Good leaders are visionaries. They have a vision for
what they do. A powerful leadership skill is to share your
vision with the rest of the employees.
This way, you make them aware of what you
fundamentally believe in and there will be a lot of people,
who are willing to help you. Eventually, you will be able to
enhance their lives and make them visionaries as well.
7. Keep an Open Door Policy

Keeping an open door policy is a real skill for a great
leader. Although many companies claim that they practice
the open door policy, no one would really bother to escalate
information through the open door.
In order to have a real open door policy running, the
leader should first practice the policy and show the rest of
the staff that information flow has no barriers.
Conclusion
Powerful leadership skills are the best way for you to
achieve your professional and personal objectives. The
power of leadership skills are noted and required when you
climb the corporate ladder.
Without proper leadership skills, you may not be able
to manage a large team and drive them to achieve the
objectives. Therefore, start strengthening your leadership
skills from now onwards and go through necessary
trainings if required.
7.2 EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS
Introduction
Have you ever seen a keynote presentation done by
Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc? If you have, you know
what it means to have 'effective presentation skills.' Steve
Jobs is not the only one who has this ability, there are
plenty more.
Problems are meant to exist in organizations. That's
why there should be a strong process and supporting tools
for identifying the causes of the problems before the
problems damage the organization.
If you are to communicate an idea, concept or a
product, you need to have good presentation skills in order
to grab the attention of the audience and become the center
of attention.
This way, it is easy for you to get the audience's
support. The audience can range from your college
classmates to an executive board of a multinational
company.
There are many software packages you can use for
presentation purposes. Of course, it is not mandatory to use
software for your presentation, but the effect is much
greater when you use such tools for your purpose. Many of
these software tools are equipped with features and
facilities to make your presentation experience easy and
pleasant.
Having just an idea or a product to communicate and a
software package to create your presentations do not make
you an effective presenter. For this, you should prepare
yourself in advance and also should develop some skills.
Let's take a look at some of the pointers that will help you
to become a top-class presenter.
Guidelines for designing the presentation

The design and the layout of the presentation have an
impact on how the audience receives it. Therefore, you need
to focus more on the clarity of your presentation and the

content.
Following are some points you should consider when
designing your presentation.
 Derive the top three goals that you want to
accomplish through your presentation. The entire
presentation should focus on achieving these three
goals. If you are not clear about what you want to
achieve, your audience can easily miss the point of
your presentation.
 Understand what your audience is. Think why they
are there to see your presentation and their
expectations. Study the background of the audience
in advance if possible. When you do the
presentation, make sure that you communicate to
them that they are 'selected' for this presentation.
 Have a list of points that you want to communicate
to your audience, prioritize them accordingly. See
whether there is any point that is difficult to
understand by the audience. If there are such points,
chunk them further.
 Decide on the tone you want to use in the
presentation. It could be motivational,
informational, celebration, etc.
 Prepare an opening speech for the presentation. Do
not spend much time on it though.
 Point out all contents in brief and explain them as
you've planned.
 Have a Q&A (questions and answers) session at the
end of the presentation.
Choosing the Presentation Materials

When your presentation is supported by additional
material, you can make more impact on the audience.
Reports, articles and flyers are just a few examples.
If your presentation is informative and a lot of data is

presented, handing out a soft or hard copy of your
presentation is a good idea.
Following are some guidelines on presentation
materials:
 Make sure that you check the computer, projector
and network connectivity in advance to the
presentation. I'm sure you do not want to spend the
first half of your presentation fixing those in front of
your audience.
 Use a simple, but consistent layout. Do not overload
the presentation with images and animations.
 When it comes to time allocation, spend 3-5 minutes
for each slide. Each slide should ideally have about
5-8 bullet lines. This way, the audience can stay
focused and grab your points.
 Do not distribute the supplementary material before
the presentation. They may read the material
during the presentation and miss what you say.
Therefore, distribute the material after the
presentation.
Presentation Delivery
Delivering the presentation is the most important step
of the process. This is where you make the primary contact
with your audience. Consider the following points in order
to deliver an effective presentation.
 Be prepared for your presentation. Complete the
designing phase of the presentation and practice it a
few times before you actually do it. This is the most
important part of your presentation. Know the
content of your presentation in and out. When you
know your presentation, you can recover if
something goes wrong.
 Use true examples to explain your points. If these
examples are common to you and the audience, it
will have a great impact. Use your personal
experiences to show them the practical point of view.
 Relax! Stay relaxed and calm during the

presentation. Your body language is quite important
for the audience. If they see you tensed, they may
not receive what you say. They may even judge you!
 Use humour in the presentation. Use it naturally to
make your point. Do not try to crack jokes when you
are not supposed to do it.
 Pay attention to details. Remember the old saying;
devil is in details. Choose the place, people and
materials wisely.


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What are the main skills for effective communication?

What are the main skills for effective communication?

What are some guidelines for designing a presentation?

What are some guidelines for designing a presentation?

Fundamentals Of Communication And Lifeskills

1.1 Effective Communication Skills

1.1 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The main skills for effective communication

Understanding Others' Point of Views

Empathy when criticizing

Your behavior most probably will inspire others to take

Take a time-out if necessary

Compete for your objective

Ask for help

1.2 PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Significance of communication strategies

developing a detailed understanding of the working

Outcome of communication strategies

along with the right attitude and the sense of timing.

1.2.2 Types of communication

 Plan how the communication channel will be

1.2.3 Achieving effective communication

Significance of content and timing

 The mode of communication should be participatory,

How to achieve effective communication?

1.2.4 Three stages of communication

Delivering the message

Responding to the recipient

1.2.5 Listening skills

 At other times, people don‟t respond to issues that

Core listening techniques

facts of his business to you. Needless to say, it is a difficult

1.2.6 How to deliver compelling message

The burning platform

The benefits for you are…

actions. It then becomes very difficult to motivate people as

This aligns with corporate goals because…

This is what success looks like

2.2 VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Correct − what you have achieved is

2.3 ACTIVE LISTENING

future of their earnings, which is a sensitive topic to most of

2.4 ART OF ASKING

2.5 BODY LANGUAGE

ourselves, and the image we perceive of people around us.

 Physical Proximity − The way we shake hands

2.6 SMALL TALKS & ITS BENEFITS

 Expressing Thoughts − Once all the above stages

2.7 PROCEEDING WITH A CONVERSATION

2.8 TIPS WHILE TALKING

contribution to the discussion, people will think of you as

2.9 USING NAMES IN CONVERSATION

Start the introduction by mentioning your first name

2.10 MAKING UP FOR FORGETTING NAMES

2.11 INFLUENCING PEOPLE‟S THOUGHT

other people. We all send subconscious messages when we

2.12 THE “YOU WIN, I WIN” TECHNIQUE

situations like these come, it is better to give in to a few

2.13 EMOTION HANDLING